Iron Man's alternate tales: Thor
by Chapin CSI
Summary: Slash. Tony/Thor stories, UNRELATED except where indicated. New: Pepper discovers "Tony loves Thor," and boy, what a surprise that was. But there's someone else who's not as happy, and will try his best to keep the guys apart. (sigh) Is Lony's love affair doomed?
1. Bewitching

Bewitching

I didn't see Thor & CA, and I'm only interested in Avengers because of Tony Stark, but I've been checking out sites like fuckyeah-Avengers and askcaptaina and it looks like there are lots of fans of Steve/Tony, and a few (ok: so far I've only seen one fan) of Tony/Thor. I have to admit some pictures and drawings there are really inspiring. Anyway, three stories popped into my mind last Sunday. I hope you like them.

Tony/Thor (a fan called this pairing Thork, lol).

Tony Stark, breathless and sweaty, fell back on his side of the bed.

"Oh, God," he gasped. "This is heaven." It wasn't like him to be so vocal, but damn, the sex had been good –better than good.

He glanced to his right, hoping the burly man lying next to him felt the same.

Being younger, Thor wasn't as breathless. He was frowning, though.

"I thought this place was called Cleveland," he said.

Tony chuckled. Of course. Of all the people in the world, he'd ended up with one who knew all about heavenly places, being a god and all.

A golden god.

'All mine,' Tony thought smugly. For a night, at least. Turning on his side, he reached out and lazily wrapped his hand around Thor's arm. To claim ownership, so to speak.

"You're right," he conceded. "We're in Cleveland. In a cheap motel on the outskirts of the city to be more precise."

"A most vexing place," Thor muttered, shifting a little. The bed was lumpy and the sheets were too short.

"Yeah, well. You're the one who didn't wanna wait till we went back to Malibu, remember?" The big lug had insisted on making this stop, and if they hadn't found this motel, they'd probably ended up doing it in the back of Tony's car. "And by the way; that little stunt you played out there? You know, picking me and throwing me over your shoulder?"

Thor tensed up. "Yes?"

"That was awesome."

Thor smiled back, obviously relieved.

"Just don't do it in front of the others," Tony added. "I don't want them to think I'm easy."

Thor's smile turned uncertain. "What you said to that man in the office -"

"The Manager?" Tony paused. "Oh, yeah. I told him we'd won first place at a costume party. Couldn't have him think we're the real deal," he explained. "Otherwise he'd call the tabloids. Fury wouldn't like that."

Thor was about reply, when something on his shoulder caught his attention. He slapped it.

"What is it?"

"Vermin!" Alarmed, Thor sat up and looked around. "They are everywhere!"

Tony remained calm. "It's a cheap motel room, Thor," he said reasonably, but Thor didn't seem to listen. He lifted the top sheet and looked at it closely, and then shook something from it.

Tony leisurely sank back into his pillow to enjoy the view. Damn, Thor looked good naked. The long hair wasn't doing him any favors though. Tony liked him better with shorter hair. Maybe a friendly hint...?

Thor glanced over his shoulder.

"Do they not bother you?"

"Not really." Mischievously, he added, "You're a god. Do something."

Thor hesitated. "I –I cannot. Mjolnir is powerless against these small creatures." He turned and looked Tony in the eye. "It seems we have been bewitched by Earth creatures."

Tony frowned. Ok, that sounded kinda weird. If he didn't know better, he'd say Thor was flirting.

Was he...?

Tony held his breath a couple of seconds, then decided that no, it couldn't be. Sure, Thor had a goofy look in his eyes and a seductive little smile on his lips right now, but that didn't mean anything. And the fact that his own heart was suddenly beating faster could easily be attributable to a faulty reactor, so, no, there was nothing, NOTHING, to worry about. They'd only ended up in bed because after almost getting killed by The Mandarin, they needed a little reaffirmation of life, and what better way to prove you were alive than by engaging in a healthy round of vigorous, mind-blowing sex?

To cover his momentary confusion, Tony said gruffly, "Oh. So, you're dumping me in with the fleas and the mosquitoes?"

Thor winced.

"I have offended you. It was not my intention; I -"

"Nah, you didn't. For your information, those little buggers have survived nuclear disasters; you should show them a little more respect."

Thor stared at him for a moment, then shook his head.

"It is never clear to me whether you are serious or -"

"-or only busting your chops?" Tony finished.

"Yes."

"Does it matter?"

Thor was silent for a moment, then he simply took Tony's hand and brought it to his lips.

Tony gulped. Yep; Thor was flirting. But hey, he could handle it. Really, it was no biggie. A little romance never harmed him –not for long, at least.

It was his next realization that had him reeling:

He was the girl in this relationship.

Not that it was a relationship! Or was it? He really wasn't sure, but that wasn't the point here, (yet). The point was that Thor had been calling the shots from the start: he'd insisted on paying for everything, he'd picked Tony over his shoulder as they walked up to the room –which may or may not count as being carried over the threshold, (but that wasn't something he wanted to analyze right now!).

A part of him instantly rebelled. He'd saved an entire city that day, for crying out loud. He was as tough as the other Avengers! He _needed _to call the shots every time, and men and women as rich as him or even richer had understood this.

On the other hand -and as a businessman, Tony Stark always made it a point to look at both sides of a problem- this was Thor; he was rich, he was a fucking hero.

And he was the handsomest mofo he knew.

Tony playfully tugged at Thor's sweaty beard, and the big man leant closer for a kiss.

'Oh, what the hell,' Tony thought. If he was to submit to anyone, it'd better be to a god.

The end.


	2. Numbers: TWO

NUMBERS

How Tony and Thor got together.

Part one: Two

Note: I didn't think much of Thor till I saw a picture of CH on the set of Avengers. Whooooa. Anyway, here's part 1 of my Tony/Thor story Numbers.

Oh, I'm not good at Thor speak, so … I apologize in advance.

* * *

><p>Tony Stark frowned at the documents on top of his desk. He did a quick check on his computer, then looked back at the papers.<p>

"JARVIS?

"_Yes, Mr. Stark." _

"Run me a check on the Toyland Manufacturer Co., will ya? If it's true they've got little kids working for them, then I'm not signing this contract. And tell Pepper. She loves going after the bad guys."

"_Very well, Mr. Stark."_

Tony put the papers aside. He leant back on his chair and rubbed the back of his neck. It hurt despite the painkillers he'd been taking. Maybe a little ice…?

He was wondering about this and a dozen other subjects, when JARVIS spoke.

"_Mr. Odinson is at the door, sir." _

"Thor?" Tony frowned. "He never comes to the workshop." He turned and saw Thor through the one-way glass. Thor was pacing about, looking down at the floor. Or at his boots. "Looks like he dropped something," Tony said idly. He watched him a while longer. "He really cleans up for a party, doesn't he? That's his best cape he's wearing."

"_How do you know it is his best cape, sir?"_

"I've seen all his capes, JARVIS; he wears this one only for special occasions."

"_You are very observant, sir; at least, where Mr. Odinson is concerned."_

Tony frowned. Was that sarcasm? Nah, it couldn't be.

Meanwhile, Thor was still pacing about.

"So, did he lose his way back to the party, or what?"

"_I do not believe that is the case, sir."_

Tony saw Thor's lips move.

"Is he praying?"

"_His demeanor and the tone of his voice lead me to believe he is, er, giving himself a pep talk, sir."_

Tony raised an eyebrow. "A pep talk?" Pause. "Let's hear it!"

Silence.

"JARVIS? I wanna hear what he's saying."

"_I am sorry, Mr. Stark. I cannot let you invade your guest's privacy." _

Tony raised both eyebrows.

"What?"

"_You promised your guests absolute privacy when they moved in!"_

"Yeah, but, come on, this is not a conversation. The guy's mumbling to himself. I just wanna know what he's saying." He frowned as a sudden thought occurred to him. "I bet it's about the girlfriend. She wants to move in, he doesn't know how to ask... Oh, man," he sighed. "I hope it's not that."

"_Dr. Jane Foster would be a valuable addition to The Avengers, sir."_

"No, she wouldn't. With her in the mansion, Thor wouldn't feel free to come and go; he wouldn't come to the parties anymore -"

"_You do not attend your own parties anymore, either, sir. Tonight, for instance; you opted to come here instead of fulfilling your hosting duties." _

Tony didn't reply. He kept his gaze on Thor.

"Well, if I can't hear what he's saying, can you at least tell me if it's about the girlfriend?" Pause. "JARVIS?"

"_I… cannot say, sir. Mr. Odin is using a language that is not included in my database."_

Tony glared. "You could have said so from the start." He glanced back at Thor. "So, is he gonna stay out there all night or what?"

"_The situation calls for a direct approach, sir_," JARVIS said. _"Shall I open the door?"_

"Nah, I don't wanna talk to him."

"_I was under the impression that you liked Mr. Odin, sir."_

"I like him all right; I just don't wanna talk to him right now."

"_Then I am sorry, sir. You promised to be a gracious host, and I shall see to it that you keep your word." _

"No, wait -"

But before he could finish, the door slid open, Thor looked up, and a message flashed on a screen above the door.

"_Please, behave yourself, sir." _

Oh, you'll pay for this, Tony thought. He looked at Thor, half-hoping the big man would apologize and leave, but he didn't. He didn't even move.

"Is he waiting for an invitation?" Tony mumbled under his breath.

The word _"Probably"_ flashed on the screen.

Tony sighed. Thor was too proper sometimes.

"Hey," Tony said. That was about as proper as he was willing to be.

"Iron Man," Thor said formally.

"Come on in," Tony said. He saw Thor take a couple of steps in, then glance around the room with a mixture of curiosity and awe.

Tony patiently waited a couple of seconds, then, "Party isn't over yet, is it?"

"It is not, Iron Man."

"Oh. Great." Tony hesitated. "Is there enough booze and food…?"

"Indeed, Iron Man. It is a great feast."

Tony smiled to himself. He was glad Thor considered ribs, beer and pizza 'a great feast.' "So, is everyone having a good time?"

"Yes. Hawkeye considers it the best party ever."

"Oh. He must have found the Scotch, then."

"Indeed."

"Well, that's ok. Better him than me."

Thor was moving around with growing confidence. He had something concealed in his right hand, but Tony noticed this only fleetingly. There were better things to look at, after all: Thor's handsome profile, for instance; Thor's arms and legs…Thor's ass, unfortunately, was concealed behind the flowing cape right now but, again, there was so much to see, Tony didn't much mind.

JARVIS was right; he did like Thor; liked him a lot –too much, actually. In fact, it was one of the reasons he left the party early. He did stupid things at parties sometimes –like making passes at perfectly straight guys. And while most of those guys were already walking a fine line and only needed a little encouragement to decide which side they'd rather be, others didn't appreciate the attention. As for Thor... Well, the guy had a girlfriend he was crazy about. Not that having a girlfriend ever stopped a guy from wanting to experiment, but Tony didn't think Thor had that inclination.

Besides, he was a fellow Avenger; a coworker, so to speak, and Tony had a rule about not sleeping with coworkers –or, more pointedly, getting rejected by them.

So, he kept his distance.

It wasn't that hard. All he had to do was avoid parties; or more accurately, the booze. His inhibitions disappeared when he drank, which invariably got him in trouble. And while staying sober at a party was always an option, well, where was the fun in that?

Better stay in his workshop. And if it got lonely, well, all he had to go out and get himself some blond, tall, surfer-type dude.

Meanwhile, he had Thor to look at, which he did for a while, till he realized he was being a tad too obvious. Actually, it was JARVIS who pointed it out to him. The words, _You are being too obvious, sir,_ flashed above the door.

Tony typed a message on his computer: _Shut_ _up, JARVIS_, and defiantly looked back at Thor.

"What about you? Are you having fun?"

"Aye, I am."

"Oh. Ok." He waited for some explanation, but got none. Oh, for crying out loud, Tony thought. "So, did you lose your way back there, or…?"

Thor turned. "I did not lose my way, Iron Man. I came here to enquire why you left. It is your home. It is your celebration."

"Yeah, well. I've been celebrating too much lately. You know," he said, mimicking the act of drinking. "I'm trying to lay off the booze for a while." To his surprise, Thor winced at these words. "What is it?"

Thor reluctantly raised his right hand.

"I brought this with me." It was a small horn.

"What's that?"

"Brandy," Thor said.

The connoisseur in Tony immediately perked up. "Brandy?"

"Aye. The oldest in Asgard."

Tony's mouth instantly watered. "Well… I guess we deserve somethin' good after today's battle, huh?"

Do_ not take it_. _DO NOT TAKE IT!_

I wasn't going to! Tony typed morosely. He reluctantly looked at Thor. "Maybe some other time, Thor. I've got some work to do tonight, so I'd better -" He pointedly shifted in his seat, then grimaced when he felt a twinge on his back.

Thor looked up in concern. "Are you hurt?"

"Nah; it's just a kink on my back." He rubbed his back without quite reaching the right spot. "Your brother packs a mean punch," he added conversationally.

Thor was instantly indignant.

"Loki hurt you?"

"Yeah. Brothers, huh? I mean, I don't have a brother but if I had one, I bet he'd be a handful too." He meant it as a joke, but then he saw the look on Thor's face. "Hey, it's ok," he added quickly, because he knew Thor's indignation always turned to deep shame at his brother's antics.

"I must make reparations," Thor announced solemnly.

"What's that?" Tony asked, then looked up in alarm as Thor determinedly walked up to him. Tony pushed his seat back, "Hey, it's ok, I'll just take some asp -" The word died in an agonized gasp as Thor's hand suddenly fell on the back of his neck, then lower, the strong fingers kneading deep into his muscles. Tony doubled over.

It hurt like hell.

It hurt like Afghanistan –

And then, just when Tony thought he was about to die, the pain started to subside and gradually turn into something that was close to… pleasurable.

Tony blindly reached out and grabbed at Thor's free arm.

"Oh, man," he moaned. "That's…that's…"

"Better?"

Tony nodded. He'd closed his eyes at Thor's first touch, now he opened them, only to find Thor's face very close to his.

Tony gulped. He'd never been this close to Thor –not without armor. The man was… well, the only word that came to mind was _beautiful_. The bastard's unblemished face even looked like it was lit from the inside.

Way to make a guy feel inadequate, Tony thought, very aware of his weathered 42-year-old face.

Thor smiled. "Do you enjoy my touch, Iron Man?"

Hell, yeah. But Tony didn't say.

"You have not yet responded," Thor said softly.

"Uh, what was the question?"

"Do you enjoy my touch?"

"Well, you're better than my chiropractor, that's for sure."

"Your Chiro…?"

"Joe."

Thor paused. "He touches you like this?"

Tony frowned. Was Thor jealous? 'Cause it sounded like he was jealous. And he'd stopped kneading Tony's back too.

He wanted an answer, and he wanted it now.

"A sort of doctor," Tony said tentatively.

Thor seemed mollified by the explanation, because his hand started moving again.

It was good, really good. Tony closed his eyes again.

He sighed. "Oh, God -"

"Yes, Iron Man?"

Tony chuckled. Here was a guy who was even more arrogant that him, but at least he was justified. He really was a god.

Thor leant closer, and whispered in his ear.

"I have watched you," he said. "I have watched you watching me..."

Tony froze.

"I watch over everybody," he said noncommittally. "It's part of my job here."

"Not everybody," Thor said quietly. "Not the same way."

Busted.

Visions of bashed gay men flashed through Tony's mind. Money and personal prestige had protected him all his life, but he knew luck had played a big part too. And luck runs out sooner or later.

He slowly straightened up. He believed in facing his troubles head on –especially those that involved violence.

"What you're saying is, I've been checking you out," he said calmly. "Ogling you," he added, because 'Checking out' might not be an expression Thor was familiar with. "So, do you wanna kick my ass or something? I mean," he added, because Thor seemed bewildered by Tony's words. "D'you got a problem with me looking at you? 'Cause if you do -"

"I do not."

Tony frowned.

"What did you just say?"

Thor leant closer.

"I said I do not have a problem, Iron Man." He pointedly looked at Tony's mouth. "I have been ogling you as well."

"You have -" Ok, this seemed too good to be true. "Uh, so… Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Thor seemed confused by the question.

"'Cause I'm game if you are," Tony said quickly. "I mean, if you want what I think you want."

"What I want?"

"Who you want," Tony amended. "If it's me, then just say the word. Or do something. Or -Oh, for God's sake, are you just gonna stare, or are you gonna kiss me?"

Thor smiled. "Yes, Iron Man. I am going to kiss you."

Thor leant forward, but Tony pulled back.

"Ok, just do me a favor, will ya? Call me Tony. I don't like this Iron Man thing –I might not live up to that name. Unless it's a kink; 'cause if it is, then I'm totally -whoa!" To his amazement, Thor had lifted him in the air, chair and all.

"Where is your bed?"

"Wow, straight to the point –I like that. That way," he added, pointing at one point over his shoulder. Then he grabbed at the chair as it bounced with Thor's strides. "Uh, I can walk, you know." But Thor ignored him and marched up to the door that led to Tony's private quarters.

"Open!" Tony said, but the door remained closed.

"JARVIS, the door, please."

"_Sir, I implore you to reconsider -"_

"It's ok, JARVIS; Thor's not gonna beat the shit out of me afterwards. Right?" he asked Thor, who looked bewildered once again.

"I shall not. Ever. My intentions are honorable; and -"

"You heard that, JARVIS?"

"_Sir, this is highly inappropriate; you are Mr. Odin's host, and as such -"_

"Oh, I agree," Tony said lightly; "As Thor's host, it's my duty to please his every whim. Open the door, please." Nothing. "Come on, JARVIS; we're two consenting adults here -one of whom hasn't had any in weeks." Hopefully, that would thaw JARVIS hardened database.

It didn't.

"JARVIS, open that door or I'll start making some harsh changes around here."

"_Nothing you say will compel me to open the door, sir."_

"I'll start by reprogramming your accent," Tony said calmly. "A Southern accent, JARVIS; how does that sound?"

"_You wouldn't!"_

"Oh, yes, I would. Yep, siree. Yee-ha!"

The door slid open.

Thor smiled, impressed by what he still considered as Tony's own brand of 'magic.' "I built it myself," Tony said smugly; "The door, I mean, not the bed. Speaking of which -" he tilted his head in the bed's direction.

Thor marched there and unceremoniously tilted the chair, dumping Tony on the bed

"Hey!" Tony landed on his stomach but quickly rolled over, just in time to see Thor start removing his cape.

"And here I thought your clothes just fell away," Tony said. He almost offered to help, but decided not to when he realized that watching Thor would be more fun. Plus, his hands were shaking right now. He didn't want Thor to know how fucking nervous he was.

Meanwhile, Thor was removing layers of clothing and metal and ivory accessories –dozens of thingies Tony had never even noticed before. And all along there was this predatory gleam in Thor's eyes that made Tony horny and uneasy at the same time. Thor was big, but just how big was he, really?

And then he got his answer.

"Oh, God. You're…" He didn't finish. There were no words to describe what he was seeing. "So," he said, as Thor advanced towards the bed. "So, am I gonna end up with thunder and lightning shooting out of my ass, or what?"

Thor stopped and looked speechlessly at him.

"Sorry," Tony said sheepishly. "Was that too crude? I was just wondering. I mean, you're the god of thunder and I'm a mortal and I've got no fucking idea what you're gonna -I mean, I can take it," he added quickly, "I just want to know if I'm gonna be walking funny tomorrow. "

Thor still looked bewildered. .

"You..." he said. "You would let me...?"

"Sure," Tony said, and then he realized Thor had assumed Tony would be the one on top. "You mean _you'_d let me...?

They stared at each other.

Tony reacted first.

"You go ahead," he said. "Then it'll be my turn. If I survive," he quipped.

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	3. Numbers: ONE

Part two: One

(About the titles: Part one was called "Two" because Tony and Thor got together).

* * *

><p>He survived. They both did. And it was great. Actually, it was amazing. More amazing still, it didn't have a negative effect on their working relationship; it made it better –or so Tony liked to think. After that night, it seemed like the most natural thing to do, to spend time together either in Tony's quarters or Thor's, right after a battle. Or before a battle. Or any time in-between battles.<p>

It probably worked because nothing else changed; Thor went on seeing the girlfriend he was crazy about, and Tony went on having casual encounters. That the number of encounters had dwindled over the past few months, or that he might be growing a tad dependant on Thor didn't worry him. Life was good –that's all that mattered.

He should have known it wouldn't last.

One day, Steve Rogers sent an urgent summons to all Avengers. It forced Tony to cut a business trip short, but that was ok; he'd missed his friends, and he'd missed the rush of adrenaline that he got from wearing armor, and besides, he could easily do business from a plane, or, as in the present case, from a helicarrier.

It took him a couple of hours, but he managed. Finally, he put his phone down.

"JARVIS? You there?"

_"Yes, Mr. Stark."_

"So, what's going on? Any news on the big crisis?"

_"I have no record of any crisis, sir."_

"Really? That's odd. Steve said I was needed back there. 'Imperative' he said; like it was a matter of life-or-death." He was silent for a moment, then, "You sure there's no sign of danger anywhere?"

_"None that I can detect, sir. And communications have remained normal in the last five hours."_

"Huh." Tony was silent for a moment, then a sudden thought occurred to him. "Wait a minute. It's not my birthday, is it?"

_"It is not, sir."_

"Well, is it anybody's birthday, then?"

_"Not that I am aware of, sir."_

Frowning over this, Tony leant back in his seat. He smiled, all of a sudden. Lying back like this reminded him of his favorite sex position, the one he called "sitting on the throne," with him sitting on Thor's lap. 'Impaled by the god', was a more accurate title, but what the heck, he liked the first one better. It was classier. As for Thor, well, he didn't care about titles; he liked the sex. 'Smart guy,' Tony thought, shifting in his seat. Damn, he'd really missed Thor. Hopefully, he'd be at the Tower -hell, he'd better be; by a happy coincidence, Tony was wearing a light-grey suit, Thor's favorite. There was something about the tweed that really turned the big guy on...

He was musing on all the things he might get to do, when the pilot announced they were approaching Stark Tower.

An Agent from SHIELD approached him as soon as he got out of the carrier.

"They're waiting for you in the conference room, sir."

"So, what's going on?"

"I can't say, sir. They just asked me to direct you there." And he pointedly conducted Tony to the elevator.

"Is Fury there?"

"Director Fury's in Libya, sir." And with no further explanation, the agent punched a button.

"Hey," Tony said, but the doors were already closing. "I own this place, you know," he said to no one. "I deserve to know what's going on."

The doors opened, and Tony stepped into the hallway. From there it was a short walk to the conference room.

Agents from SHIELD were coming and going, leisurely, like this was just another day at the job. They nodded at Tony and then went their ways, but most of them paused by the conference room and glanced inside.

Tony took a look too.

"What the hell?"

It looked like a party in there. A frat party, with his fellow Avengers in a state of furor, and Thor in the middle of it. The big man looked bashful and not a little confused. That was intriguing enough; usually, it was Thor who made all the noise.

Tony noticed Agent Romanova standing a little aside from the group, and he went to her.

"Hey, Natasha. What's going on?"

"Thor's getting married," she said morosely; "That's what's going on."

Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I didn't peg Dr. Foster as the marrying kind."

"Not Jane," Romanova replied. "A deity. Astrid-something-or-other."

Tony was sincerely surprised. He didn't even know Thor was engaged.

Thor looked up then. He seemed to falter when he saw Tony.

Hawkeye noticed Tony, too.

"Hey, our landlord's back," he said. "Come on in," he added, motioning Tony to come close. "You're just in time for the celebration. Our friend's getting hitched -to a _goddess_. Really stacked, I believe," he added, using his hands to make an hourglass shape in the air.

Tony chuckled. That's what hit him afterwards: how sure of himself he was, and how unthreatened he felt. He even went to Thor and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Well, big guy, congratulations. If there's anything I can do to make your bride feel more comfortable, just say the word. Tell you what," he added, before Thor could reply; "You can have the East wing. I'll move my movie library elsewhere."

Thor looked down, as if overwhelmed by Tony's kindness, and the others' reactions were just as subdued. Actually, they looked embarrassed.

"Relax, everybody;" Tony said, "I'm not raising the rent to cover the costs." He was smiling, but he could tell something was seriously wrong. He glanced around, and after a brief hesitation Natasha stepped forward. Before she could speak, though, Steve intervened. He put his hand on Tony's shoulder.

"We need to talk -"

"His bride refuses to leave Asgard," Natasha said spitefully.

And Tony still didn't get it.

"Really? Well, that's ok. He can visit on weekends." He looked at Thor. "I mean, it's not like you gotta move back, right?" But Thor wouldn't look at him, and this time even the others looked down too.

All except Hawkeye. He burst into laughs.

"We couldn't believe it either," he said; "Looks like the Mighty Thor's a whipped man, ladies and gentlemen. Aw, I'm just kidding," he added, clapping Thor on the back. "Cheer up; at least you're getting a beautiful wife. You should see what my uncle Bernard got!"

Tony was too stunned to speak; it was only when he noticed Natasha still looking at him that he forced a smile.

"Hey, this calls for a celebration! Let's break out the champagne, will ya?"

"We're way ahead of you, Stark," Hawkeye said, as two agents hauled an ice bucket into the room. Another followed with trays and glasses. They settled everything on the conference table.

"Get your glasses, ladies and gentlemen!"

Most of those in the room immediately flocked in their direction. Others, like Natasha, followed reluctantly. Steve hesitated, then he, too, moved, leaving Tony and Thor alone.

Thor drew a breath as if to speak, but Tony didn't give him a chance. An agent was coming in their direction, a tray with glasses in one hand and an open bottle in the other, and Tony went to meet her.

"Would you like some champagne, Mr. Stark?"

"Sure. I paid for it, after all. No, sweetheart; I don't want a glass. Here, let me unburden you," he said, and he took the bottle instead. "Take care of the groom, will you?"

Bottle in hand, Tony made a beeline to the exit, only to find his way blocked by Natasha. She had a half-empty glass in her hand, and Tony promptly refilled it.

"Drink and be merry, Natasha."

"Stark, you've got to do something."

"I do lots of things all the time, Natasha; please, be specific." But before she could speak, he looked over his shoulder. "Hey," he said to no one in particular, "Get some food from the pantry will ya? Some cheese curls and crackers -"

"Stark -"

"Hey, you know what? Natasha's right; we need real food to go with this. Call the caterer. Can't have people drinking champagne on an empty stomach -"

Natasha grabbed his arm and forced him to face her. He turned, but didn't look at her; he looked at her glass.

"Hey, are you drinking that?" he asked, "'Cause if you're not, then I'll take it. Can't let it go flat, you know," and without waiting for a reply, he took her glass and emptied it. "Not bad," he said critically; "Still... I don't think I'll buy the vineyard, though."

"Stark, you can't let him go! We need him."

"Nah, we're gonna be fine," Tony said casually. "We'll find someone else. There's always someone else."

"Just talk to him, please!" she insisted; "If you do, then maybe -"

"And when we find him, I'll build him a hammer; I'll give it some cool powers, and then -"

She grabbed his arm again. "Stark! Listen!"

"I'm sorry, Natasha; can't talk business right now. Here," he said, handing her the empty glass. "You can have that."

He met her gaze then, and what he saw in her eyes made him turn and leave the party for good.

Compassion.

* * *

><p>Tbc<p> 


	4. Numbers: ONE part two

One

(part two)

* * *

><p>Things ended right where they started, in Tony's workshop. Tony went there straight from the party and then sat at his desk, staring at his computer. Pictures were rolling on the screen; pictures taken from newspapers and news shows from all over the world, all showing his fellow Avengers in full regalia, smiling, laughing even, a symbol of camaraderie for everyone to see. And Thor was right in the middle of it every time; the biggest guy in the room, with arms draped around his smaller friends, the mortals who seemed to bask in his attention.<p>

"Shmucks," Tony muttered, and there was not one bigger than himself, who'd basked, all right. Somehow he always ended up at one end or the other of Thor's embrace, with the big man's hand resting on him. Sometimes Thor would do a little drumming on his shoulder, a sort of Morse code that meant he'd be dropping by later. Sometimes Thor was bolder; he moved closer and whispered, 'I want you, Iron Man,' and when Tony glanced around, he'd find that Thor was eyeing him like he was a juicy lamb chop or something, and it was enough to make Tony falter –sometimes right in the middle of a speech too. And Tony didn't mind. He never did.

Now, looking at the pictures, Tony had begun to regret every time he cut a conference short for Thor.

There was really nothing he could do about it now, except obliterate the evidence.

He punched a key.

"Oops! It's gone. I deleted another one, JARVIS!"

"_Do you wish me to delete that picture from my data base?"_

"Why do you keep asking that? I deleted it, didn't I?"

"_Accidentally, Mr. Stark."_

"Accidentally, on purpose." He punched the key again. "Ooops, there goes another!"

He took a swig from the bottle, then grimaced. He hated sweet stuff. It wasn't like the champagne wasn't giving him enough of a buzz –he'd kept his drinking in check for so long, even something as mild as this was bound to get him going –but he'd rather get drunk on bourbon; bourbon hangovers were easier to handle. Sweet stuff made him sick afterwards. Really sick.

He didn't have any bourbon at hand, though, and he didn't have the energy to go looking for it.

Idly, he looked back at his computer. Pictures were still rolling.

"Maybe I should just delete the whole bunch."

"_I can always retrieve those pictures from their original sources,"_ JARVIS said perkily.

"I don't want them retrieved," Tony retorted. "How many pictures did you save, anyway?"

"_The number of pictures taken by you alone amount to -"_

"Fuck," Tony muttered. Mea culpa. Yep, he'd taken lots of pictures; group pictures of the Avengers in and out of the tower, candid shots that chronicled their friendship from their uneasy beginnings to present times. Their first time at a bowling alley, for instance; their first trip on his private yacht, and the first time they tried to play baseball...

Then there was that tape, the one he kept under lock and key, so to speak. Normally, all security tapes were deleted on a weekly basis, even those from his bedroom –especially those from his bedroom; sex tapes had a nasty habit to turn up into the wrong hands- but he'd made an exception with this one.

Tony hesitated a couple of seconds, then typed a security code. A window opened, and there they were, he and Thor grappling in bed for the first time. They looked good together, despite their differences –one darker than the other, one bigger than the other. Or maybe it was their differences that worked in their favor. Thor was mostly silent, for instance, while Tony… Jesus, Tony wouldn't stop talking, not even when Thor started thrusting into him.

The sound was off, but Tony knew the dialogue by heart:

He, gasping: "I'd never done this." At Thor's questioning look, he added, "Without a condom, I mean."

And Thor had stopped moving right then.

"Do you wish me to wear one?"

"Oh, Jesus, no," he'd pleaded. "I'm clean, you're a god… Keep going." He'd grunted a couple of times, then managed a joke, "It's not like you're gonna knock me up, right?"

And maddeningly, Thor had stopped again.

"Knock you up? What does that -"

"Impregnate me," Tony cut in. "You're not gonna do that." And then, because Thor didn't immediately reply, Tony himself had stopped. "Are ya?"

And Thor had started laughing, boisterously –his own version of 'gotcha!'- and Tony had started laughing in relief.

Tony wasn't smiling now. There was a time when he thought that tape was better than any porn he'd ever seen; it had certainly helped those times he'd been left alone while Thor visited Jane Foster or his parents, or whatever it was that he did, (he never told and Tony never asked); but tonight, instead of arousing him, it pissed him off. He hated the way he looked at Thor, for instance. The emotions playing in his eyes were genuine, and that was the problem; he truly was in awe of Thor –well, that was kind of understandable; Thor was richer and more powerful than him. But did he have to look so fucking happy too?

Maybe he should delete that tape too; a sex tape was only good if it got you going.

He caught movement out of a corner of his eye then. A flash of red. Someone had entered the room –the only person who had full access to the workshop apart from him.

Thor.

Tony didn't immediately look up. He never did when Thor visited. It was a little game they played; he kept working, Thor got impatient and then walked up to him, pulled him away from his desk (or his workbench) and started kissing him –

But Thor didn't do any of these things, and Tony didn't really expect him to. He just wasn't about to make things easy for him.

Let the big man make the first move if he dared. Let him try to explain.

Unfortunately, talking had never been Thor's forte. He could sit or stand for hours without saying anything, seemingly content with letting Tony doing the talking. He probably understood only half of what Tony was saying, but he liked to listen. He smiled and nodded now and then, while Tony talked and talked, until he realized he'd said things he'd never meant to reveal.

One night, while having a late-night snack, Tony had stopped in the middle of a story. "I can't believe I told you that!" He'd looked at Thor, who'd been eating cornflakes all along. Thor had smiled in that open way of his, but Tony wasn't mollified. He'd blurted out, "If you tell anyone, I'll kill you!" And Thor had laughed out loud and playfully ruffled Tony's hair. "I'm serious," Tony insisted. Then, "Oh, ok, I'm not gonna kill you. But if you tell, I won't have sex with you anymore." And Thor had merely tilted his head and stared at Tony as if to gauge his sincerity, then smiled and laid his hand on Tony's neck and stroke it. Tony reluctantly leant into his touch. He rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right. I'll still have sex with you. Just don't tell anyone, will ya?"

"I shall not," Thor had said solemnly, and Tony had believed him.

He _trusted_ Thor.

A part of him had resisted, at least at first. But he'd gradually given in. It was ok, he told himself; Thor was a good guy, he reasoned; he wouldn't betray him, and he'd always be there.

Tony closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, then opened them just in time to see the part in the movie where Thor wrapped his arm around Tony and then practically passed out, his face comfortably tucked into Tony's neck. Tony glanced sideways at Thor, then looked directly into the camera, smiling goofily. He was sooo proud of himself. He, a mere mortal, had managed to turn the Mighty Thor into an exhausted, cuddly teddy bear of a man. He knew his arm would get numb from the weight and he would probably have to get it amputated if Thor didn't roll off, but hey, if the big man was happy, so was he...

"Schmuck," Tony muttered. Morosely, he closed the window.

He swiveled his chair around and faced Thor. The big man was standing in the middle of the room, his eyes cast down.

Was that shame? Well, good.

"Well, well," Tony said. "The groom's here." He stared at him for a moment. "So. You're leaving."

Thor nodded quietly, still without looking at Tony.

Thor's meekness irked him.

"Are you gonna say something, or are you just gonna stand there like you're part of the furniture?"

Thor raised his gaze at last. His lips parted, but Tony was faster.

"Just tell me this: "How long have you known?"

Thor hesitated. "My Father summoned me early this morn -"

"Don't give me that," Tony cut in. "Don't fucking give me that. Your dad's a stickler for tradition; there's no way he would decide this kind of thing overnight. He must have told you about this a long time ago." He kept his gaze on Thor, enjoying the fact that he was making the big man uncomfortable. Ah, ha. "So," he said softly. "How long have you known."

Thor didn't immediately reply. "We were betrothed from birth."

Tony nodded, as if he'd known all along.

"So, all this time -"

Thor shook his head.

"You knew," Tony insisted. "You fucking knew you'd have to leave." Thor tried to say something, but Tony cut in again. "You should have said so, from the beginning. I mean, you're the one who's always jabbering about honor and all that shit, so how come you never mentioned her?"

"She broke our engagement," Thor said quietly. "She said my association with humans diminished me."

"So, what happened; she changed her mind all of a sudden? That's so fucking nice of her." Tony took a swig from the bottle, found that it tasted worse now, but he kept drinking till it was all gone. He lowered the bottle. "You must be so grateful."

Thor looked up pleadingly. "Stark, I… I cannot refuse her."

"Oh, so she says jump and you jump, is that it?"

Thor smiled almost imperceptibly.

"I jumped every time you required it of me."

"That was different," Tony retorted, "That was business. Avengers business." He rose from his seat, walked unsteadily towards Thor till they were just a couple of feet apart. "You're an Avenger, remember? You said we were brothers. Brothers," he added, his anger growing. "You said you'd stay for as long as -"

"Stark-"

"You fucking said it!" Tony finished. He raised the bottle again, and was surprised to find it empty. He looked incredulously at it till Thor gently reached for it.

Tony saw their fingers touch, then part as Thor took the bottle from him and set it on the floor.

Thor's gesture filled him with sadness. Then the sadness turned to anger.

"So. Your fiancée doesn't like humans, huh? Does she know you've been fucked by one?" Thor winced, which was exactly what Tony wanted. Oh, yes; make the man squirm. "What about your dad? Does he know?" He looked closely at Thor, and noticed his growing discomfort. "Oh, so that's what this is all about. Daddy found out and freaked out." Thor shook his head almost imperceptibly but Tony ignored him. "His precious son, sullied by a human's seed."

"Stark." There was something in Thor's eyes as he spoke his name. A silent plea. That, and something else, something he'd seen recently in Natasha's eyes. Compassion.

Tony looked away. He didn't want people's pity.

"It is my Father's command," Thor said softly. "Please, understand. I must obey." He hesitated, and then – "You would do the same if your father -"

"Get out."

Tony turned. Thor was looking at him in surprise. Something in Tony's tone must have alerted him, and now that he looked at Tony in the face, he knew for certain that something was wrong.

"Iron Man -" Pleading, again.

"Get the fuck out of here." The words were spoken softly, but there was an obvious threat in them. "Now."

"I cannot leave until -"

"Didn't you hear me? You broke your word. You're nothing to me now." He frowned even as he said the words, (where the hell did they come from?) yet they were oddly appropriate. He saw Thor flinch, then make a visible effort to hold back. Then, after a brief hesitation, he walked up to Tony.

_This is it, _Tony thought. Thor was going to hit him -great, then at least he'd get some real pain to focus on.

Or maybe Thor would grab him instead; throw him over the desk and tear his clothes off and -

But all Thor did was put his hand on Tony's shoulder. He just let it lie there, warm and comforting. _No more drumming_, Tony thought. No more easy laughter -_you're nothing to me now_- no more late-night snacks at the cafeteria upstairs, no more trying to teach Thor the right way to swing a bat…

He tried to say he was sorry but for once, words failed him.

"Goodbye, Iron Man," Thor said softly, and then he turned and left.

Tony didn't move. He took a deep breath. Then another. He stood rooted in place doing nothing else for a long time. It wasn't till JARVIS spoke that he finally looked up.

"What did you say?" he asked hoarsely.

_"Captain Rogers wishes to speak to you, sir. He wants to know your plans concerning Mr. Odinson's departure." _

"My plans?"

_"He says you ought to be present as they bid their goodbyes to Mr. Odinson."_

Tony snorted. "Yeah, right." He took a deep breath, then, "Ok. Put him through." He glanced at the screen above the door. Steve Rogers appeared there, and he didn't look happy. "What's up, Steve?"

"Thor's about ready to leave, Tony. You'd better come upstairs now."

"I'm kinda busy right now. Why don't you take over?"

Steve shook his head, "It's your house, Tony," he said patiently; "It should be you -"

"My house," Tony repeated ironically. "You're right. It _is_ my house. I keep forgetting that." He looked up. "Ok, look. What am I supposed to do? He wants to leave; nothing I say will change that."

"Then what about showing him some gratitude? He saved our behinds more times than I can count; you know that better than anyone -"

"I saved his too, Steve. And I did count the times. As far as I can tell, I don't owe him anything."

"Don't you?"

Tony looked up sharply. He stared at Steve, wondering what the hell he meant by that, and whether he, like Natasha, might know more than he let on about his relationship with Thor. But unlike Natasha, Steve wasn't looking at him with pity. He looked… pissed, yeah; but also kind of… exasperated.

Tony knew that look; nannies and butlers and rehab workers had looked at him exactly like that.

"It's not like he wants to leave, Tony," Rogers said quietly. "We should support him, not give him a hard time."

Tony looked up reluctantly.

"You're right," he said. "I'm being an ass. What can I say? Champagne has a bad effect on me."

"Then have some coffee and come upstairs."

"No."

Steve threw a quick glance over his shoulder as if to make sure there was no one around, then looked back at Tony.

"You're not making this easy on Thor, Tony! He's been our friend all along; he deserves better -"

"Please, Steve. You do it. You're better than me at this kind of thing, anyway. "

"Tony -"

"Just tell him how much we appreciated his help," Tony added casually. "Make sure his things are packed and ready -I don't want any complaints from Mr. Odinson. Oh, and give him some memento from the group, will you?"

"A memento? Like what?"

"I don't know. A group picture? Or a coffee maker -maybe he'll finally learn how to use it," he added snidely. "What about a toaster? He's getting married, after all."

"What about one of your guitars?" Steve said spitefully. "He always wanted to try his hand at them."

Tony was taken aback.

"No way." Thor's hands were talented when it came to sex, but musical instruments were out of his league. Even baseball bats gave him trouble. "Not my guitars."

"Then come upstairs and chose your own frigging gift."

Frigging. Steve only said that word when he was seriously pissed off.

Tony sighed. "Fine, give him one of my guitars. It's not gonna last long, but... That's the point, I guess. Anything else?"

"No, Mr. Stark," Steve said, still angry; "We'll handle everything for you." He cut communications himself.

Tony nodded.

"Good," he said, even though Steve could no longer hear him. "Ok. That's it then." He straightened up. "I feel much better now," he added. "I need to go out. Yeah, that's it. There's gotta be a party somewhere."

He walked up to the door but couldn't get through. "JARVIS, the door."

_"I am sorry, Mr. Stark. I cannot allow you to leave."_

"What? Why!"

_"Sir, we both know what is going to happen if you leave in your present condition."_

"My present condition?"

_"You are broken-hearted, sir; you have imbibed a large amount of alcohol. If you go out, you shall inevitably get entangled in a dangerous liaison, and then tomorrow -or the day you finally return- you shall bemoan the fact that you left in the first place."_

Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing. "First of all, I'm not broken-hearted; I'm pissed. That's different." JARVIS didn't deign to reply to that. "Second, I'm not planning on getting entangled in a liaison; I want to get laid -huge difference there. And in third place, what the fuck's wrong with you? I didn't program you to act like a sanctimonious prig!"

_"You programmed me to protect your interests, sir."_

"Exactly; it's in my best interests to go out right now." The door didn't open. "JARVIS! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!"

_"Not until you sober up."_

"I _am_ sober!"

_"Not according to the levels shown on my data base."_

Tony leant his forehead on the door. "JARVIS, for the last time -"

"_The answer is still no, sir. May I suggest that in the future you word your intentions more ambiguously, so that I do not feel compelled to act as drastically? Meanwhile, to avoid a conversation that might prove embarrassing to you later, I shall cease communications for the next four hours."_ Pause._ "Yee-ha."_


	5. Numbers: THREE

Numbers: THREE

* * *

><p>Tony Stark walked up to the edge of the cliff and looked about. It was a glorious afternoon. The sea was calm, the air was clean, sunlight tinted the scraggly foliage with tones of red and gold… But he noticed this only fleetingly.<p>

He raised his wrist and spoke into his watch.

"I made it, JARVIS," he said smugly. "The highest point. In two and a half hours, just like I said."

_"As I pointed out earlier, sir, you could have reached it in five minutes -"_

"If I had worn the suit," Tony finished. "But that's the point, JARVIS; I wanted to do the climb by myself. I ruined a good pair of boots, almost fell a couple of times, I don't know if my car will still be down there."

_"In other words, you are doing penance."_

"It's not penance," Tony replied testily; "It's… a gesture. This was Thor's favorite spot in Malibu –apart from my bed. I just thought I'd come here and…" He let the word trail off.

"_And…?" _

Tony didn't immediately reply. Instead, he unbuckled his backpack and took a white box from it. A red-lettered logo adorned the top: Pete's Donuts.

Thor's favorite donuts.

"_Mr. Stark?"_

"And eat a snack," Tony said impatiently. Jesus, JARVIS was in an inquisitive mood today.

"_You could have eaten a snack at the tower too."_

"There are cameras at the tower, JARVIS; I needed some privacy."

"_If privacy was what you required, then you should have used the bunker, Mr. Stark. Thanks to your own satellites, anyone in the world can have a clear view of you right now." _

Tony instinctively looked up. The satellites weren't visible of course.

"Damn. Could you turn them away for a couple of hours?"

"_If you wish. But I must warn you; there is a stranger climbing your way."_

"That's ok." A birdwatcher, most probably. Or a lost hiker. "I'll deal with them".

"_It could be someone dangerous, Mr. Stark. It could be The Slasher, or -"_

"The Slasher? What Slasher?"

"_There is a slasher lurking in California. Mr. Hawkeye said so last night. It has a hook instead of a hand, and -"_

"That's an Urban Myth, JARVIS. You shouldn't be getting your news from Hawkeye, you know. Now, be a good kid and get those satellites off my face."

_"But Mr. Stark -"_

"Over and out, JARVIS."

He stood still for a moment, hoping JARVIS would effectively turn the satellites away.

He didn't want anyone to know what he was about to do.

"I'm sorry," he said out loud. He looked up. _He was out there, somewhere_… Far away, yet close, all the same. Haunting him -yeah, that was the word. Thor kept intruding Tony's thoughts –which would be ok, except that he looked the way he did the last time they spoke, with Thor's eyes silently pleading, 'Please, try to understand,' 'Please, don't think the worst of me,' and mostly, 'Please, forgive me.'

It should have been easy, saying yes. "Yes, baby; I forgive you. I understand." He'd let others get away with far worse offenses, after all. Instead, he'd done his best to hurt the young man. "Get the fuck out of here."

Tony was sorry now, of course. He'd learned the hard way that in hurting Thor, (or trying to), he'd hurt himself. His damn conscience wouldn't leave him alone unless he did something about it. And so, just as JARVIS rightly surmised, Tony was doing penance.

Climbing the cliff was part of it. Leaving his car unprotected down below was another.

And now…

"I acted like a dick," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

Not that he expected Thor to hear any of this; he was gone, never to return. Yet a part of him hoped that Thor would know, somehow. Thor believed in the power of rituals, and Tony believed in the power of words. And so he said it again.

"I'm sorry, big guy."

He closed his eyes.

Anyone looking at him would have probably thought Tony was praying - anyone who didn't know Tony Stark, of course. Had that hypothetical stranger been able to read Tony's thoughts, he would have found them frankly pornographic, filled as they were with images of a naked man's body –Thor's body.

Tony's memories of his friend were so vivid he could almost feel the man's muscles and furry skin all around him right now; the texture of Thor's cock in his mouth… the taste of his come in the back of his throat…His hands on the back of Tony's neck…

Then other images intruded. Thor, mustering the courage to explain; Thor, shaking his head, the way he did when he didn't agree with something Tony said. He knew, all right; Thor knew Tony would feel like shit afterwards.

"You were right," Tony whispered. "If my dad was around, I'd do anything he asked me. I don't know if I'd give you up," he added snidely; "But yeah, I'd try to please him." He paused for moment. "There's some other things I've got apologize for, I guess." He'd been acting like Thor didn't even exist -he tried to, anyway; his fellow Avengers didn't let him take down Thor's pictures from the walls, and the couple of dates he'd gone to had ended in disaster. He just could not forget Thor. His friends and his own conscience wouldn't let him.

And so, today, he decided than rather than forgetting his friend, he'd embrace his friend's memory instead. Honor it, so to speak. Hence, the ritual.

And the donuts.

He looked down at the box for a moment, then raised it.

"Here's to you, Terminathor."

There was faint sound just behind him, then. '_Oh, fuck,' _he thought; JARVIS' stranger was there. A birdwatcher. A pesky boy scout. A lost boy scout.

Tony braced himself for the worst.

And then a familiar voice called out…

"A toast without booze, Mr. Stark? That doesn't seem like you."

Tony turned sharply. A young woman was standing there. Dark-haired and beautiful, and instantly recognizable: Dr. Jane Foster.

Thor's girlfriend.

_Oh, crap. _It _was_ the worst.

Something must have shown on his face, because she added, with a wry smile, "I see I'm not welcome."

Tony recovered quickly. "I thought it was somebody else," he said casually; "The Slasher, for instance."

"Slasher? What slasher?"

"You tell me. There's always one lurking around in California."

"I see. It's a pity you Superheroes don't do volunteer work at the local PD." she said sweetly. "Then maybe there'd be no more slashers."

"Well, can you picture me, working at a crime scene while wearing armor?"

"Not really."

Tony smiled. "The cops don't, either."

She smiled back, but it was obvious she was as uncomfortable as he was. They'd never really talked before –hell, they'd rarely ever been in the same room- and now she'd found him at the very place that Thor had come to love during his brief sojourn on Earth.

She must be wondering what the hell he was doing there.

Her first question took him by surprise.

"What you said when I was coming… Did you say Terminathor?"

"Yeah. I used to call him that sometimes," he said reluctantly; "Called him other names too, but he dug this one the best."

She nodded thoughtfully. She was silent for a moment, then, "You must be wondering what I'm doing here." When Tony didn't reply, she said, "Thor told me about this place a while ago. He said he loved to come here to watch the sunset. Red sunsets, he called them."

"It's the pollution," Tony said quietly.

"I saw your car in the parking lot, by the way."

"It was still there? That's good."

"The winos are keeping guard," she said. "They must think you are a generous tipper."

Was that sarcasm? He couldn't decide.

"I was surprised," she said. "You didn't strike me as the contemplative kind."

_What kind am I, then? _

"I came to say goodbye to my friend," he said quietly. And I'm not going anywhere.

She smiled.

"Mind if I join you?" And without waiting for a response, she marched on towards him.

It briefly occurred to Tony that the edge of a cliff was probably not the safest place to share with one lover's girlfriend, (even if she didn't know he was her boyfriend's lover), but he was basically a courteous man, (and a chivalrous superhero to boot), and so he stood aside for her.

"Oh. This is beautiful," she said, taking in the entire view. "I can see why he loved this place." She glanced at him, then at the box in his hands. "What's that?"

Tony opened the box. There were six donuts neatly arranged in two rows –three sugar donuts, three covered with icing.

"A gift to the gods." she said.

Again that tone that could be sarcasm… or not.

"He loved these," he said noncommittally.

"He loved coffee, too."

"Yes." Tony was silent for a moment, then, "Not fancy coffee, though." Thor despised Tony's cappuccino machine.

She smiled. "He preferred what I call diesel coffee. Like this," she added, taking something from her shoulder bag. A red thermos. "His favorite," she added. _See? _She seemed to be saying, _I knew him well too. _

"Another gift," Tony said quietly.

She faltered, but quickly got a hold of herself.

"Would you like some?" Again, she didn't wait for a response. She glanced around and noticed a grassy spot just a few feet away. She motioned him there.

Tony hesitated. She was taking over the situation and he didn't like it. And she was being way too nice. In Tony's experience, girlfriends of Superheroes were a jealous, resentful bunch who hated the way their loved ones seemed to relish going on a mission rather than staying with them. They just didn't like the rest of the team.

But maybe Jane Foster was more sensible than most.

Tony sat next to her, putting the box of donuts in between. He opened a pocket in his backpack and brought up a plastic cup.

She filled it to the brim. "It's really strong," she warned.

"It's ok."

He winced at the taste of the coffee. _Diesel coffee_ was right. He drank it anyway. It gave him an excuse not to talk, and the taste wasn't so bad once you got used to it…

But it had definitely tasted better in Thor's mouth.

_But then, he tasted good everywhere_. Tony smiled, then checked himself. He had the uncomfortable feeling that Jane could read his thoughts.

But she wasn't looking at him. She was looking out the sea, seemingly lost in thought. She hadn't even tasted her coffee yet.

Tony covertly watched her. Here was the woman Thor had loved; he was curious. He wondered what it was about her that caught Thor's interest; wondered what she'd do if she ever found out it (whatever "it" was) didn't keep Thor from hooking up with a guy. Would she be jealous? Pissed? Devastated? Some women turned murderous when they found out, but Jane didn't seem the type. Not that he knew her that well. He knew she loved Thor, though. There was no doubt about that.

Tony wondered what it felt to love someone (and be loved) only to lose in the end. He really had no clue, but he had a vague idea of what she was going through, and, well… he felt sorry for her.

He wished there was something he could do for her.

His eye fell on the box of donuts. He pushed it closer to her. "Want one?"

She blinked in surprise.

"Oh. No, thank you."

"Are you sure? These are the best in town." And he tilted the box so she had a better view.

She smiled reluctantly.

"I can't, really," she said. "But you go ahead."

"Ok," he said, as if he was only doing it to please her. "But I warn you; once I start, I won't be stopping. So, if you want one, you'd better take it now."

She smiled, genuinely amused, but didn't take any.

"Fine," Tony said. He took a long, hard look at the donuts, then picked the one with maple icing.

"Do you always take this long to choose?"

"Sure."

"I thought they all tasted the same."

"Who told you that?" Tony asked indignantly. "For your information, young lady, a chocolate donut tastes better if you eat a maple one first," and to illustrate this, he took a big bite of the donut in his hand. He chewed heartily…

And almost choked when she spoke next.

"I knew about you and Thor."

He paused for a couple of seconds, then cautiously went on chewing; cautiously and slowly, very slowly, while he mentally composed his defense.

"He never said anything," she said, matter-of-factly, as if it were a casual conversation between friends. "But I could tell. I saw the way he looked at you; saw the way he smiled at you." She paused until he met her gaze. "I knew that smile."

Tony Stark had two rules when it came to meeting one's lover's girlfriend. The first one was to avoid meeting one's lover's girlfriend in the first place. But it was the second rule that he found the most useful (and realistic): when confronted by the inevitable, there was only one thing to do: deny.

But Jane's attitude was so unexpected, he forgot all about that one.

"Either you're the most open-minded woman I've ever met, or this coffee's laced with Strychnine."

She shook her head.

"It's only coffee, Mr. Stark." And she pointedly took a sip from her own cup. She kept her gaze on him, gauging his every reaction. She was in control, and she knew it.

For once Tony Stark was a loss for words.

_Shit. What now?_

"You're very -" Tony struggled for the right word. "Level-headed."

She scoffed.

"What am I supposed to do –scratch your eyes out?"

He smiled a little. Lovers' girlfriends had dented a couple of cars of his, but nobody had ever attacked him personally. Too risky. And maybe, just maybe, they didn't care that much for their lovers anyway.

"I always knew when he'd been with you," she said quietly. "He told me jokes afterwards. I knew he'd learned them from you."

"Not all of them," Tony said cautiously. Hawkeye had told him a fair share of jokes. Atrocious jokes.

She was watching him.

"You must think I don't have any self-respect," she said.

He only shook his head.

"No? Even though I kept seeing a man who -"

"A god," Tony countered.

She hesitated, then scoffed softly.

"A god. You're right," she added. "Once I accepted he was the god of thunder come to Earth, it seemed there was very little I wouldn't do for him. Even sharing him with a man." She paused for a moment, then shook her head. "I can't believe I'm telling you this."

"Yeah, well; who else could you tell it to?"

She looked at him with interest.

"You're right. It wasn't something I could discuss with my friends. If I had -"

"They would have told you to dump him."

"No, they would have told me to scratch your eyes out," she replied. "But then, they would assume Thor was seeing another woman." She held his gaze. "Were you jealous of me?"

"No."

"No? Ever? I'm offended."

"Were you jealous of me?"

She considered this.

"At first," she said slowly. "Then I realized I'd feel more threatened by another woman. And I knew of your reputation; I was sure you'd simply move on. But then you didn't move on -"

"Well, it's hard to move on when you live in the same building," he said reasonably; "We worked side by side -"

"Yes. I could never compete with that. And he seemed happy. You obviously filled a space in him that I could never hope to fill."

Tony almost laughed out loud, (oh, he'd filled some spaces in Thor, all right!) but held back when he saw she was serious. Too serious. She obviously had a wrong idea of what he and Thor had.

"The work kept us together, Jane; you're the reason he wanted to stay in the first place."

She smiled.

"You're being nice to me. I didn't expect that."

"Yeah, well. We're in this together." He raised his cup of coffee and touched hers.

"We both lost," she said quietly.

_Cheers._

They were silent for a moment.

"Did you give him a hard time?" he asked suddenly. "When he told you he was leaving?"

"No." She saw the surprise in his eyes. "I always knew he'd leave one day."

"So, you knew about his engagement."

"No. But I knew he'd eventually go back to Asgard. He had a destiny to fulfill."

"Marriage to another deity," Tony said quietly.

Her eyes filled with tears. She raised her cup and pretended to sip her coffee, but she wasn't fast enough to cover her pain.

Tony looked away and gave her a chance to recover.

"What about you?" she said after a moment, "Did you give him a hard time?"

Tony only smiled sheepishly.

"You did?" She was surprised. "What did you do?"

"I said some things I shouldn't have. I thought he'd be around forever," he added, as if that explained everything. "You were wiser than me."

"I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "I've been thinking about it and… I've realized I never really enjoyed what we had. I kept holding back."

"He knew you loved him," he said generously. He looked down. _Wonder what it feels to love and be loved like that?_ Still… Thor did love him, in a way. And he was so fucking generous and kind… More than anyone Tony had ever met.

"You're smiling," she said suddenly.

Tony glanced at her.

"I was thinking that Thor was my best friend," he said. "And the brother I never had. So, I was having sex with my brother/friend/coworker… And yet, it was the healthiest relationship I'd ever been in. Isn't that weird?"

Jane was speechless.

Tony realized he may have said more than she was prepared to hear, and so he changed the subject. He nodded at her shoulder bag.

"So, what else d'you got there?"

"An antidote for Strychnine," she said dryly.

Tony looked up sharply.

She smiled. "Make-up and a box of Kleenex, Mr. Stark."

"I see," Tony said casually; "I was hoping you'd brought some burritos to go with the coffee. No matter," he added. "We still got these." He picked the white box again. "You sure you don't want one?"

"I can't. They're -"

"Fattening, yeah. But they're delicious."

She hesitated, then rolled her eyes in a 'what the hell' gesture. She gingerly reached for one covered in sugar.

"No!"

She abruptly pulled her hand back.

Tony was instantly apologetic. "Sorry. Sorry, I shouldn't have done that; here," he added, offering her the box again. "Take it." But she wouldn't move now. "Please." But as her hand hovered over the sugar donuts, he said. "Those were his favorite."

She picked one with pink icing instead.

"Sugar donuts are too messy anyway," she said.

Tony smiled to himself. Yeah, they were messy, but that was the point: Thor would end up with sugar sprinkled all over his beard and mustache, and Tony would lick the sugar off him, and then they would kiss and share the sweetness. Then Thor would eat another donut, and so on, and -

Jane put an end to his reverie.

"Did you love him?"

"I liked him a lot," he said austerely.

"Were you faithful to him?"

Tony considered for a moment.

"I tried."

"I _was_ faithful," she said. "I think he expected it."

Tony frowned. "Yeah, you're right." Then, "What a jerk."

She smiled.

Tony stared at her for a moment.

"I guess this has been more difficult for you," he said.

"Because I'm a woman?" she met his gaze. "I believe it's just as difficult as it is for you."

"Nah," he said casually. "I'm used to losing."

"But you were angry when he told you of his engagement."

"I was angry because he was leaving," he countered. "I just wanted him to stick around. I didn't - I wasn't -" _I didn't love him, _he wanted to say; _I wasn't in love._ But it wasn't true, was it? He did love the man. When he thought of the guy's kindness, the way he supported him when they failed… Or the way he reacted whenever Tony told him a particularly drenching story from his childhood: He held him all through the night, for instance; tell him some tale that would raise his spirits…

"He used to sing," he said softly.

"Songs of ale and love," she said, smiling. "I only understood half of what he was saying, but -"

"His folktales were easier to understand."

"Folktales?" She frowned. "He never told me any."

Tony hesitated for just a second.

"Oh, well, then you probably don't have trouble falling asleep." Actually, sleep was the last thing he needed when he was with Thor; he was just being considerate. Secretly, he was thrilled that Thor had told those stales only to him; acted them out, actually. He'd pace about the room, doing voices, mimicking the characters' gestures…

Not that he was sweet all the time. Thor was fiercely loyal, but he raised hell whenever he thought Tony was wrong. And Tony was a better man for it. He learned so much from him-

And suddenly, Tony realized that Jane was right; it really was just as difficult for him –maybe more so, because Thor wasn't just another lover gone forever; he was every man Tony had craved in his life: lover, brother, friend, protector.

_Oh, God._

"I did love him," he blurted out. "I loved that son of a bitch." He touched his chest. Something deep inside him hurt -hurt like hell in fact. Tony'd heard people say love hurt, but he never took it seriously. Till now.

He took a couple of deep breaths. They helped… Until she spoke.

"He loved you," she said softly.

Tony looked at her. She was smiling. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she wasn't embarrassed by them now.

"He loved us." And she said it was if she didn't realize it till now.

Tony's eyes clouded with tears too. _Oh, shit_. When was the last time he cried? Oh, yeah. When Yinsen died.

But Thor wasn't dead.

He wasn't.

"This is all wrong," he said abruptly. "He's alive; we should be celebrating that."

She hesitated.

"Come on," he said. "We want him to be happy, right?"

"With her?"

"A deity," Tony said. "Chosen by Odin."

"She's a blonde," Jane said, her voice filled with despise. "Blue-eyed and tall."

Tony had to smile at this. "So?"

"She's not her type," she said firmly. "We are. Brown-haired, brown-eyed," she added, eyeing his hair first, then his eyes. "Not too tall."

"You're right," Tony said in sudden realization. He didn't even mind the 'not too tall' part.

He was going to add something, then stopped.

The sky had darkened all of a sudden, and a harsh wind flew over the sea.

Alarmed, she rose to their feet.

"What's that?"

Tony's reaction was slower. He picked the donuts before he rose. "California weather," he said matter-of-factly. "It could clear, or it might not. But maybe it's time for us to go."

Lighting flashed across the sky then. They braced themselves for the sound of thunder, but it never came. And then, just as quickly, the sky cleared again.

Tony frowned. "Ok, that was not typical California weather." He was about to call JARVIS, but Jane stopped him.

"Oh, my God," she said. She was pointing at the trail behind them.

He turned.

Thor was there, flushed and disheveled. He seemed disoriented at first, then he saw them, and started in their direction, tentatively, as if he didn't quite believe they were there. He stopped just a few feet away, his head hung down as if in shame.

"Hey," Tony said. "What's wrong?"

Thor didn't raise his gaze.

"I have been banished from Asgard."

"What happened?" This from Jane.

"I refused to wed Astrid." He looked up at last, not at Tony and not at Jane, but at one point between them. "I could not forsake you."

Tony and Jane looked at each other.

Tony's heart was pounding hard. He was elated but he was scared shitless, too. And judging by the look on Jane's face, so was she. "What now?" Her eyes seemed to say.

The one who spoke first would settle the situation, and so Tony looked at Thor. He was going to do the honorable thing. Yep. He was used to losing, after all –

But Jane beat him to it.

"We have food," she said, raising her half-eaten donut.

Tony looked incredulously at her, but she kept her gaze on Thor.

Tony looked too.

"And we've got coffee," he said. "Welcome back."

And Thor's smile told him that was the right thing to say.

* * *

><p>THE END<p>

Thank you for reading! I think I'll post another Thor-Tony story soon, but it won't be a follow-up to NUMBERS.


	6. The Mortal and the Demigod

The mortal and the demigod

Part one

Spoilers for Avengers, nothing major, except that Coulson survives.

I finally saw Thor, (after Avengers, I just HAD to. I liked it; CH is… yummy. I can't blame Tony for falling hard for him, lol)

* * *

><p>Tony Stark, naked and damp from the shower, stared at the neatly-pressed clothes hanging in his closet.<p>

"What do you think, JARVIS? Black shirt? White? Plum, blue…? Tie? No tie?" He waited for a response. "JARVIS?"

"_Is it anything the matter, sir?"_

"What do you mean?"

"_You have never required my opinion before." _

"Well, there's always a first time."

"_Why? _

Tony frowned.

"What do you mean, why? It's only a question."

"_A question you never posed before"_

"Yeah, well; like I just said -"

"_It makes me wonder if recent events have had an effect on your emotional well-being, sir." There was a pause. "You almost died, after all."_

Tony snorted. 'Died' was a mild way of putting it. But he wasn't going to make a big deal of it.

"I've been close to death before, JARVIS."

"_Not at the hands of alien invaders, sir; you never met such danger before. And you certainly never met anybody like the Odinson brothers, who are reputed to be gods."_

"Demigods," Tony amended. "Who, by the way, are much more down to Earth than some people I've met in LA."

"_Nevertheless, what you went through these past forty-eight hours -" _JARVIS didn't finish. When he spoke next, his tone had changed from soothing to urgent. "_Sir, Mr. Fury's on the line!"_

Tony looked up. "Again? I thought he'd already said all there was to be said!"

"Not all." This from Nick Fury himself.

"_Mr. Stark, Mr. Fury overrode the security system!"_

"Yeah, I noticed," Tony muttered. Aloud, in his best JARVIS impersonation, he said, "Mr. Stark isn't home right now."

Fury didn't buy it. "This is urgent, Stark!"

Tony was unimpressed.

"What, there's another alien attack?" He paused. "It's not another alien attack, right?"

"No, Stark; it's not."

"Oh." Tony relaxed, then tensed up again. "Coulson?"

"Agent Coulson's remains in critical condition but he's definitely on the mend. No; I'm calling because I've just heard you're giving a party."

"Oh, yeah," Tony said casually; "It started a while ago. You coming over?"

"No, I'm not coming over! Stark, you didn't mention no damn party when you requested my agents! You said you needed them to clean-up the Chitauri's mess!"

"Which they did," Tony said patiently; "That's why I'm giving a party, Mr. Fury; they worked hard rounding up dead bodies and weapons, and now they deserve a break. We all do."

"Ha. Tell that to my bosses."

"Give me their numbers and I will."

There was a silence, and Tony could visualize Nick Fury rubbing his face in exasperation. Time to change the subject.

"What about Loki," Tony said, "Is he giving you any trouble?"

"Not with my best assassins watching his every move. Dr. Banner's a great deterrent too." Fury was silent for a moment. "I gotta admit, Stark," he said reluctantly; "Keeping Thor away was a good idea. He's too soft-hearted when it comes to his brother. You're keeping an eye on him, I trust?"

Tony smiled a little.

"Yeah, I've been watching Thor."

"But you're also giving a party, which is why I'm concerned -"

"He's not gonna spring Loki free, Mr. Fury; he's gonna take him away under our own conditions just like he said. Meanwhile, he's been making up himself useful here," he added; "We cleared up every rooftop in town thanks to him." He smiled again. He'd enjoyed working side by side with the demigod. Thor was more relaxed than Cap, that's for sure. And he looked good too, even when covered in armor from neck to foot. Tony's fertile imagination supplied the rest.

Fury broke into his reverie. "Any chance you might get a hold of Thor's hammer, Stark?"

_Oh, yeah,_ Tony thought salaciously; _I'd love to get a hold of his hammer, all right_. Then he checked himself. "What are you talking about?"

"Thor's hammer, Moolneer," Fury said matter-of-factly; "Any chance that you might replicate its power?"

Tony didn't immediately reply.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that, Nick."

"Oh, come on, Stark; don't tell me you're not curious."

"Yeah, I'm curious. That doesn't mean I'm gonna steal the -"

"Who says anything about stealing? I'm just asking you to take a close look."

"I know what you're asking," Tony replied. "And the answer is no. Damn it, Nick; we're not ready to handle this kind of power. Didn't you learn anything these past couple of days?"

"Well excuse me for trying to improve our arsenal! If we are to protect the world, then we got to -"

"Besides," Tony cut in, "Thor's the only one who can handle Mjolnir. Kind of like King Arthur. Remember The Sword in the Stone? Disney movie?" He smiled when Fury didn't immediately reply. Humor was the best weapon when dealing with Nick Fury. It unsettled him.

Fury sighed noisily.

"All right," he said. "I guess paying for our expenses is compensation enough. Assuming he's got the means."

"Are you kidding? He's loaded. He's a demigod, after all."

"He actually considers himself a _god_, Mr. Stark."

"With that kind of money, he can call himself whatever he wants."

"Don't I know it," Fury muttered. "Ok, Stark; have your party. I expect my agents to be up and running tomorrow at eight sharp, though."

"They will."

"And Mr. Odinson too."

"He will," Tony said, but Fury had already broken up communications. "Nice evening to you too." Shaking his head, Tony looked back into the closet.

"_Mr. Stark, I have just reviewed your past selection of garments."_

"I knew you'd keep your priorities straight," Tony muttered ironically.

"_But before I make a recommendation, I need to know what your goals for tonight's event are."_

"'Tonight's event'? It's just a party, JARVIS."

"_It is never 'just a party,' Mr. Stark. There is always an ulterior motive to every event organized by you. Now, if you intend to close a business deal, then a white shirt will do. But if you are in a sexually predatory frame of mind, then -."_

Tony frowned. "Sexually predatory…? What the hell are you talking about?"

"_It means that if you wish to indulge in a sexual encounter, then you'll be better off wearing a black shirt."_

Tony raised an eyebrow at this.

"_As for tonight's event," _JARVIS continued; "_Considering how your heartbeat accelerates whenever Mr. Odinson looks in your direction, I assume -"_

"What? My heartbeat doesn't accelerate!" Actually, it did. He just didn't expect JARVIS to point it out. It made him feel like a teen getting caught jacking off by his mom.

"_Your pulse did spike numerous times today, sir. Nothing life-threatening, of course; otherwise I would have intervened. As to the cause, I hold Mr. Odinson responsible, sir. He was in the vicinity; he kept a close watch on you, and -"_

"That's enough, JARVIS." JARVIS was right, though; Thor had been glancing in his direction all day long, meeting his gaze if he had his visor up, or merely eyeing him speculatively when it wasn't. Seizing him; that's what he'd been doing, but for what? Not another battle; they'd already gone through that –and wasn't it funny that the god of thunder's best move actually gave Tony an energy boost? All enemies should be like that.

Not that he considered Thor an enemy; the demigod had helped them win yesterday's battle after all. But his loyalties were divided, and that made him a dubious ally. A hot ally, sure, but…

Absent-mindedly, he reached for a white shirt.

"_Sir, I insist that you wear a black shirt. Black silk seems to give your self-confidence a boost."_

Crossly, Tony grabbed an old MIT sweatshirt from iinstead.

"There's a dozen agents of SHIELD roaming the house, JARVIS. Sex is not my top priority right now!" Reluctantly, he added, "Besides, gods are supposed to be celibate, right?"

"_Well, sir; according to Viking mythology -"_

"Forget it," Tony said. He didn't wanna hear a lecture. It wasn't like he was gonna get into Mr. Odinson's pants anyway.

But he did pick his best black boxers just in case.

* * *

><p>tbc<p> 


	7. The Mortal & the Demigod p2

Part 2

* * *

><p>Tony faltered at the sight of his living room.<p>

Glass and concrete –the remnants from Loki's party- had been swept aside and laid in neat piles against the wall earlier that day, but now there were Shawarma wrappers, empty boxes of pizza, and empty cans of soda marring the view.

Giving SHIELD the free run of his house hadn't been such a good idea, after all.

"Damn. I should have rented a ballroom."

_"Most ballrooms have been turned into emergency shelters, sir."_

"Yeah, yeah." Tony looked around. "Where's everybody? The party isn't over yet, is it?"

_"Your guests are in the screening room, sir."_ Pause. _"Mr. Odinson's there too." _

He pretended not to notice the suggestive tone in that last phrase.

"The joke's on them," he said gleefully. "I haven't stocked any movies yet."

_"But you did stock the bar."_

Tony winced.

"Don't tell me they found the Scotch."

_"Actually, they weren't interested, sir. Or rather, Mr. Odinson wasn't. He prefers beer. The agents are following his example."_

"Well, isn't that nice," he mumbled, making a beeline to the screening room. "I clean up New York; work my ass off issuing statements to the press, field calls from the military, give these kids a place to stay, and a ransacked home is all I get in return!"

_"Sir, in all fairness, those "kids" worked hard too; they removed the debris from your living room and repaired the walls. And technically, it was Ms. Potts who issued the statements. And you did get help from Mr. Odinson and Captain Rogers, and -"_

"Shut up, JARVIS."

…..

To Tony's relief, the screening room was more or less intact.

The only noticeable damage was done to the seating area; someone had yanked the seats off their hinges and set them around the bar.

"I wonder who," Tony muttered, glancing at the obvious culprit. Surrounded by agents (most of whom were seating on the floor, not on the vandalized seats) Thor was placidly leaning against the bar, a tankard of beer in one hand, and a half-eaten slice of pizza in the other.

For a deity, the guy really packed an appetite.

_That's ok, _Tony thought_; I can afford him. _

Tony smiled a bit sheepishly at the thought. Ah, ha. He could lie to JARVIS but he couldn't lie to himself. He liked Thor.

But then, who didn't? (Apart from his nutty brother, that is).

Even the boys and girls from SHIELD agents were openly fawning over him right now. Free from the restrictions of uniforms and regulations, they were toasting his health, (a redundancy, since he was a demigod), the health of his parents (ditto), and the health of his friends.

_Friends,_ Tony noted, but no mention of a wife and kids. That was… encouraging.

_Or not._

Looking at Thor now, he realized there was no chance in hell they could get involved. For all the bravado and the vanity that infused his actions, Tony Stark was too aware of his flaws. And this was no surfer dude he'd picked at a bar; this was a god.

_A demigod_, his mind supplied helpfully, just as it had been doing all along, as if the little prefix could make a difference.

It didn't.

Not here, anyway. Out in the field, in his Iron man suit, he could fight as Thor's equal.

Down here, he was plain Tony Stark.

_…In a fucking MIT sweatshirt. _Tony instinctively checked himself at a nearby glass surface, then looked away, aware that JARVIS was watching his every move right now. Watching… and making notes for future reference.

Thor's sudden laughter cut into his thoughts. An agent was reenacting the Hulk's fight moves, making them clumsier for the demigod's amusement.

"Puh-leeze," Tony thought snidely. "What an ass-kisser."

The ass-kisser noticed him.

"Mr. Stark!" He straightened up. "Great party, sir! Thank you, sir."

Tony frowned. Great party? How could this be a great party without music, drugs or fancy drinks? But the other agents were just as enthusiastic.

"Great beer, sir!" some said, "Great food!" others said, and then, all together, Thank you, sir!" as if they'd rehearsed the words beforehand.

Thor raised his tankard too but whatever he said was lost in the general cheer.

Tony nodded vaguely at them. He was more concerned about the decanter in the back of the bar. He went there and was relieved to see it was intact, just like JARVIS said.

He poured himself a glass.

"Come to papa," he muttered, and immediately downed half. _Oh, yeah_. He almost said the words out loud as the whiskey warmed body and soul. _I needed that. _

Only then did he join the others, though he stayed in the back –the better to watch everybody else.

The agents were all getting drunk –no wonder they were so damn happy. But they were good-natured drunks, which was kind of surprising. Considering what they did or a living, Tony had expected them to be rowdy or broody once they lost their inhibitions.

Either they had great self-control… Or Thor's presence that had turned them into docile, adoring kittens.

One of the agents asked Thor to tell his side of the battle again, (_again?_) and her fellow agents joined in. Thor resisted at first, but he eventually gave in and, fueled by copious amounts of beer and the cheers of his audience, told his story.

Shakespeare in the park never had so rapt an audience.

_What a bunch of ass-kissers,_ Tony thought snidely; _Sure, it's a most deserving ass, but still… _

Morosely, he took a sip from his glass, then almost choked when the agent next to him spoke.

"Here it is, Mr. Odinson. Point Break."

Tony looked up sharply. The agent had a cell phone in his hand, a glorious head-shot of Patrick Swayze on the screen.

Tony instantly made a grab for it, but the agent ignored him and pushing his colleagues aside, made his way to Thor.

The demigod gingerly took the tiny cell phone and turned it over a couple of times before he looked into it.

"It is a man!"

"You look a bit like him, sir," the agent said helpfully. He glanced at the questioning agents around him. "Mr. Odinson says someone called him Point Break," he explained; "I told him it was probably because of the movie. I mean, look at him; he kind of looks like Bodhi." To Thor, he said, "I don't think it was meant as an insult, sir."

Another agent, a female, chuckled. "She probably has a crush on you."

Thor looked confused.

"A crush?"

"She thinks you're cute," she said, "Handsome," she added, in case Thor didn't understand.

Thor slowly handed the cell phone back to its owner, who was instantly surrounded by colleagues demanding to see the picture.

Momentarily left alone, Thor turned and looked straight into Tony's eyes.

Tony casually raised his glass and took a sip of Scotch, but there was way to hide the flush that rose to the tips of his ears.

Thor smiled.

* * *

><p>tbc<p> 


	8. The Mortal & the Demigod P3

Thor: "You people are so petty! And tiny."

* * *

><p>Part 3<p>

It was at that point that Tony decided to ditch his own party. Not that he could really do that -not with a houseful of drunk, volatile agents he promised to take care of. What he did was retreat to a relatively quiet corner of the room. His favorite couch was there; one of the few things he'd salvaged from the wreck of his Malibu home. Just the sight of it comforted him.

He did ditch the whisky, though; he picked a bottle of mineral water instead.

Once settled on the couch, he put his feet on the coffee table and stared at the ceiling. _At least I still have a ceiling, _he thought; _and walls._ But all that glass had started to bother him; it made his home too vulnerable.

The entire building was at risk, he realized; it was too flamboyant; too easy a mark. _But it's not ugly_, he thought, still bristling over the things Rogers said. _What does he know of 21__st__ century architecture, anyway?_

From the other side of the room, Thor's laughter boomed: "Ha, ha, ha."

_At least someone's having fun_.

Actually, everybody but him was having fun. Reluctantly, Tony realized JARVIS might have a point; maybe he did need a purpose for these parties. Without one, he just didn't know what do with himself. Unfortunately, he didn't have many options tonight; business deals were out of the question, and as for a hook-up… Sure, he could always try his luck with one of the agents, (they were vulnerable enough), but somehow it didn't seem right.

Of course, there was Thor but… Nah. No way. That smile the big guy threw in his direction was ambiguous at best and besides, Thor was technically a coworker, and Tony had a rule about not getting involved with coworkers.

Besides, demigods only mated with their own kind, right? Not that he knew anything about demigods' sexuality. Though with a name like Assgard, one could easily make all sorts of conjectures…

Unless he was spelling it wrong, of course.

"Ha, ha, ha!" There was Thor again.

Tony smiled. It was good to hear Thor laugh, especially after the day he had. Cleaning after Loki took its toll on everybody, but it was particularly hard on the god of thunder.

"Here's to beer," Tony muttered, raising his bottle. Beer made everything seem better. He took a big gulp, then almost spat it out; he'd forgot it was mineral water, not beer.

He was still glaring at the bottle when suddenly, the couch shifted under somebody's weight.

Thor.

He'd unceremoniously plopped down on the opposite side, then shifted before he found a comfortable spot.

Tony looked around. To his surprise, Thor's entourage didn't follow him; the agents were still at the bar, seemingly unaware that their favorite Avenger had ditched them.

Tony cautiously straightened up. "Hey," he said.

Thor nodded. "Metal Man."

Metal Man'. That's how Thor had been calling him all along –the few times he'd addressed Tony, that is. Mostly, he'd talked to Steve.

"It's Iron Man," Tony said good-naturedly; "But you can call me Tony too."

To his credit, Thor didn't call him Tonytoo. "Tony," he said. _Tawny_. He took a swig from his tankard, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then sat comfortably back.

Tony stared, leisurely taking note of muscles and blond hair, white, gleaming teeth… W_hat a handsome motherfucker._ A wild one. Dangerous.

_Just my type_, Tony thought, mentally salivating. He wasn't about to make a move in that direction, though. Again, Thor was a coworker. Plus, the last time he got involved with a wild and dangerous man he ended up with bruises and the guy, with a restraining order. It was a long time ago, but he'd been cautious since then.

Still, there was no danger in talking, was there?

"So," Tony said. It was an opening, but Thor didn't take it. The guy seemed content just sitting there, drinking beer. "You like that beer, huh." _Jesus, what a stupid thing to say._ What was the matter with him?

Thor answered good-naturedly enough.

"Aye. This is good ale."

"Good. I'm glad the agents found my secret stash of Abwasser beer." No, he wasn't. "So," Tony said again. "Are we treating you right?" Thor nodded. "You want more pizza, or fried chicken, or –" Tony forced himself to stop. He was starting to babble, for God's sake. But he couldn't keep quiet. "What about drinks," he said. "If you want more beer… Or maybe something stronger –"

Thor smiled faintly. "You speak like my mother!"

Tony winced. "Did you just compare me to your mom? That's not cool."

Thor faltered. "I meant no disrespect! You…you are a nurturing person -"

"I'm not a nurturing person! I'm just trying to be a good host."

"You are an excellent host," Thor said firmly, and he raised his tankard in a sort of salute.

And he clammed up again.

The silence was more than Tony could handle.

"So," he said, then frowned. Why the hell did he keep saying 'so'? Tony-mother-fucking-Stark was more eloquent than this! He tried again. "Cat cut your tongue?" _Oh, smooth, Stark._

Thor frowned.

"Either that," Tony said. "Or you ran out of stories to tell."

"Stories?"

Tony tilted his head in the bar's direction. "You were the soul of the party a moment ago. How come you got quiet all of a sudden?"

Thor shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"I fear my words will amuse you."

"What? Why? Oh, you mean because I called you Shakespeare in the park?" _Oh, shit._ "Look; I didn't know you, ok? I didn't know about… you know; the god connection. But I like the way you speak. It suits you. The cape suits you too."

Thor shot him a skeptical look. "My mother's drapes?"

"Oh, you just had to remember that. Listen; I'm sorry I said those things." Not really, but he had to say something. "I was just…uh, being me." There was no other way to explain it. More confidently, he added, "Once you get to know me, you won't even notice_. I_ don't notice sometimes –which is why I keep putting my foot in it." Thor shot a bewildered look at Tony's feet. "But you're right," Tony said, even though Thor hadn't said anything. "My life would be easier if I didn't open my mouth so often."

Thor nodded. "That is what Steve said today."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Was he talking about me?"

"Yes."

"Sanctimonious bastard."

He said it under his breath, but Thor heard all the same.

"I thought you had made peace with him."

Tony shrugged. "We work together well –let's leave it at that. I'm still pissed at the things he said."

"Do not forget; it was my brother's magic that brought forth those words."

"But the words were already in Steve's mind," Tony countered. Then, because he was a fair man most of the time, "I said some harsh things to him too."

"Aye. You did."

Tony glared. Thor wasn't supposed to say that.

But he was right, anyway.

"You know what the funny thing is?" Tony said. "It's not even him I'm mad at. Or not completely." He could tell Thor didn't understand. "See, I lived under Steve's shadow all my life. My father idolized the guy; he spent a huge part of his life just looking for him. And there were times when…"

"Yes?"

"I got the feeling my dad wanted me to be like Steve. And I couldn't." It was the first time he said it out loud. It felt good. And awful. Getting a chunk off one's chest was all right, except for the huge empty space it left behind.

_And with no whisky to fill it_, he thought, looking mournfully at the bottle in his hand.

Thor noticed this.

"You are not drinking this ale. Why?"

"I don't wanna get drunk. Gotta keep an eye on the children," and he tilted his head in the bar's direction again.

"Children." Thor seemed amused by the word.

"Hey, they may look old and pack guns, but right now they're like kids. And they're afraid."

"Afraid?"

"They almost lost their favorite uncle –Agent Coulson. I'm speaking metaphorically," he added before Thor could say anything. "You see, Fury's your typical father figure: tyrannical, distant. Coulson's like the nice uncle you turn to when you need comfort." Thor nodded. He seemed to understand.

"He's the real hero," Tony said softly. "These guys, too. They'd take a bullet for you. Damn," he added, because he could see his words were getting Thor all gloomy. "Me and my big mouth," he muttered. Aloud, he said. "Listen, why don't we start over? Here," he said, offering his hand, only to pull it back as Thor was about to take it. "Sorry; forgot you don't want me to touch you."

Thor faltered.

"I did not know you then," he said apologetically. Then, more solemnly, "You are a hero."

"Well. I wouldn't use that word," Tony said modestly, "We petty humans have our moments; that's all." He enjoyed seeing Thor cringe. "Speaking of which, if that 'tiny' jab was meant for me -"

Thor dropped his gaze.

"If I offended you -"

"Nah. Well. Sort of. But in my defense, I was standing next to Steve and Nick Fury; everyone looks tiny in their presence. Even Banner."

Thor chuckled at the mention of Banner. Hell, his eyes twinkled. Tony briefly wondered what that was all about, then shrugged to himself. _The less you know,_ he thought.

Morosely, he took a swig of his mineral water. After a moment, he noticed Thor was looking at him again.

Damn, why didn't the guy say something?

"So," Tony said, and he didn't wince over the word this time. JARVIS would probably tease him about it but so what? "Who would have thought, huh? We started fighting, and now…"

"You were a worthy foe," Thor said solemnly.

"You don't consider me a foe anymore?"

"No."

"So, what am I now?"

Thor didn't respond. Instead, he raised the tankard and drank the last of the beer in big gulps. He put the tankard on the table, then sat back, and looked expectantly at Tony.

Tony considered the situation. He still didn't trust Thor that much, and more to the point, he didn't trust his own instincts. He could easily ruin their budding friendship by doing the wrong thing.

But it's not like he let his better judgment rule his actions.

He hesitated for just a couple of seconds, then reached out and put his hand on Thor's bicep.

"These are really something," he said in the husky growl most men found irresistible.

Thor looked at Tony's hand very much like an ordinary person would look at a pesky mosquito, but he didn't swat at it, and this encouraged Tony to throw caution to the wind.

He brazenly stroked Thor's bicep.

"Did you get these just by swinging your hammer?"

"I…"

"I bet you yanked it as well," Tony added, and he chuckled when he saw the look of uncertainty in Thor's face. "Sorry. See, that's just the kind of juvenile humor that gets me in trouble every time." He let his hand rest on Thor's arm. "I'm just wondering if you had to work for these or if you were born with them. Come to think of it," he added, "Were you ever a baby in the first place?"

"I…"

"Just how old are you, anyway?"

"I…"

"No, you're right," he said, even though Thor hadn't really said anything. "I ask too many questions."

"You may ask anything of me," Thor said quietly.

Tony looked up with interest.

"Anything? You might just regret saying that."

One of the agents wandered into their corner just then.

"If you'll excuse me, sir," he said, looking at Tony, "I'm gonna go downstairs and… get some air. I… I think I've had enough."

"Sure," Tony said perkily; "Go ahead." Then, as the man stumbled away, he added, "Uh, the bathroom's the first door to your right. You know, just in case."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

The party was winding down, no doubt about it. Luckily, there were a few agents who still looked like they could take charge.

"Hey. Martin," Tony said, catching the nearest agent's attention. "Round the kids and take them to the third floor, will ya? There are rooms there."

"Yes, sir!"

"They're not fully furnished, but there are y'll do."

"Thank you, sir."

Once the agents were gone, Tony turned his attention back to Thor.

"So, Thor. Do demigods need to sleep?"

"Aye. We do."

"Do you have a place to stay?" He knew very well Thor didn't.

Thor shook his head.

"Huh. Well… furnishings are kind of Spartan here, not appropriate for a celestial visitor." He was muttering to himself, but loud enough for Thor to hear. "Of course, there's my room, and that one's fit for a king." He paused as if he were really considering other options. "Tell you what: you can stay in my room. I've got a couch."

He shamelessly eyed Thor from head to toe. "Yeah, I think you'll fit in."

Tho responded to that by taking the bottle from Tony's hand; he emptied in a single gulp and then unceremoniously tossed the bottle against the wall.

Tony stared. "Is that some kind of gesture, or are you just thirsty?"

"I want you, metal man."

_Good God._ "Wow, straight to the point, huh? Not what I'd expect from a god. And you're taking a lot for granted here."

Thor didn't bother to argue; he simply leant forward and crushed Tony's mouth with his own.

In that instant Tony had visions of big blond men pillaging cities, plucking defenseless maidens –no, not maidens; picking men and throwing them over their shoulders, carrying them back to their ships and laying them on coarse beds made of straw –wait, how did he know they were made of straw? He didn't know how; he just knew.

And suddenly, he knew why. In his vision, he was there; a younger vision of himself, lying on his back, naked, reaching out for his blond captor –a slightly older version of Thor Odinson, half-naked, and just as hungry as this one. Their mouths met –

And Tony was suddenly brought back to the present. He pulled back with an effort.

"Jesus," he gasped. "Did you put that in my head?" Was Thor really a full-fledged god after all?

The thought was scary but hot too.

"Did you?" Thor didn't speak. He simply grabbed him and kissed him again, hands roaming all over the smaller man.

Tony pushed away again. Not that he really wanted, but he needed to breathe, after all.

"Ok, ok," he panted; "I get it. You want me."

He seized the situation: he was going to have a hell of a good time –there was no doubt about that- but he was probably gonna get killed in the process.

Ah, what the hell. There were worse ways to go.

"Fine. Just do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"Don't throw me over your shoulder. I can walk just fine."

* * *

><p>tbc<p> 


	9. The Mortal & the Demigod P4

Part 3

* * *

><p>…They walked to the edge of a cliff; two men, one with eyes as dark as the night, the other with eyes that mirrored the morning sky; different, yet oddly similar in the way they moved, reluctantly, to their destination. Once they did, they silently looked about. Dark clouds were gathering in the horizon, while waves crashed with increasing force down below…<p>

The dark-eyed man took a deep breath.

"Winter's coming," he said.

He felt the other man's hand reach for his.

"Stay."

The dark-eyed man closed his eyes. They'd gone through this already; 'Stay,' the other kept saying, but what he really meant by that was, abandon your tribe… sacrifice your beliefs…Forget who you are.

He couldn't do it.

Part of him wanted to. He'd already lived with his captor a full year, worked on his fields, and shared his bread… and his bed. Happy, he'd almost forgotten he was a prince, a man with a higher purpose.

But duty beckoned.

Determined, he took one step closer to the edge -

"Please," the other said.

-and then he jumped.

Tony woke up with a start, then blinked his eyes in confusion. He was lying face down on something warm and snug... A bed; not the coarse straw bed he'd used for a full year, but a snug one, and his face was burrowed into a pillow that was just too soft.

But what about the waves…? And the clouds, and the greying sky…?

It took him a couple of seconds to realize he'd been only dreaming. Oh, shit. A fucking dream. He closed his eyes in relief; there was no way in hell he would have survived that jump… But then it hit him: if the freezing water was a dream, then the cliff was a dream too, and the rest: the straw bed, his blond giant... And he wasn't an abducted prince with a serious case of Stockholm syndrome; he was Tony-genius-playboy-billionaire-Stark, and he was in his own bed.

Oh, man. It was a huge letdown. It wasn't every day that he had such a good dream –freezing water and all. I guess I should eat Shawarma more often.

He started. Shawarma… Miraculously, that word brought forth a myriad of memories. SHIELD, Loki, The Hulk… Cap… And, of course, his blond giant.

He remembered everything now. And with the memories came sensations too. He was sore; almost too sore to move, but he needed to know if he was alone. He shifted a little only to meet with a solid object. A body. Warm and solid, quite unlike the cold, thin types he'd been sleeping with lately.

With an effort, Tony turned his head. A glorious sight met his gaze: Thor, seating back on a nest of pillows. The demigod's eyes were fixed on the TV set on the wall. There was no sound, but he didn't seem to mind. Changing channels with the remote was fun enough.

Tony stared. He'd kissed every inch of that smooth neck; he'd dug his fingers into some of those hard muscles; he'd held the man in his arms, yet he could hardly believe it had really happened. What if this was a dream too?

Maybe talking would help.

"Hey," Tony said, then winced. He was hoarse after all the moaning and screaming of the night before. Proof that this was real.

Thor smiled at him.

"You are awake at last."

"Not entirely," Tony said ruefully. "But… yeah."

Thor put the remote on the nightstand, then slid under the covers until he was lying next to Tony.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked solicitously.

"Mmmh." Tony nodded. Actually, sleeping wasn't the right word; passing out seemed more accurate. That last time, with Thor spooning him… Good God. Not that he was complaining, oh, no. He only wished the events of the night before hadn't left him so damn exhausted. He didn't even have the energy to reach out and touch Thor.

He tried. He shifted, then winced at various aches he felt.

"Oh, man," he muttered. "I'm gonna feel that for a few days." To Thor, "Probably more, since we didn't use any rubbers. I mean, you're a god and all but how do I know it was really safe?"

Thor frowned. "Rubbers?"

Tony smiled.

"You look cute when you're befuddled." Then, because he didn't have the energy to explain what rubbers were, he added, "I'm kidding."

"Kidding?"

"Jesting, if you will." Tony studied Thor's face. It was too dark to see it clearly, but the little he saw was good. Handsome motherfucker. He only hoped Thor found him as attractive. He probably did, in this light. "So," Tony said. "This is what you do when you drop from the heavens, huh. You plunder the villages, rape all the virgins..."

Thor snorted.

"Ok, ok," Tony said. "I wasn't a virgin. And it wasn't rape. But it wasn't sweet tender love, either." He shivered as he remembered Thor's powerful thrusts, the desperate words growled into his ear, (which Tony didn't understand but was pretty sure meant something like, "Yes, yes, FUCK, YES!)

So, no, it wasn't sweet and tender. "It was more like… Ravishment," Tony said slowly. Yeah, that was a good word. Ravished by a god, he thought smugly. Hey, he had a right to feel proud of himself; he'd survived the night, and, more importantly, he gave back as good as he got.

Or did he? He looked at Thor, hoping for some confirmation.

Thor was frowning.

"Ravishment?"

"Uh, huh. But I liked it," he added quickly; "I liked it a lot." Thor smiled. He stroked Tony's shoulder affectionately, as if to counter the roughness of the night before. "I like that too," Tony said softly.

"Yes?"

"Yep." He closed his eyes, lulled by the gentle touch of his friend. Oh, yeah. A big, heavy paw all over his back –what was not to like? And that smell –Jesus. They should bottle it and sell it as cologne. Seuor de Thor. That last thought made him smile. Oh, yeah. I'd wear that. Chicks would fall for me faster than…

He fell asleep in mid-thought.

He didn't know how long he was gone, but when he woke up again, he was lying on top of Thor, his face tucked into the demigod's neck.

Tony looked up. Thor seemed to be asleep.

Turning his head to a side, he softly called out, "JARVIS? What time's it?"

"It's five O'clock, sir. Should I wake up the agents?"

"Let them rest a while longer. But start the coffee."

Beneath him, Thor shifted. He blinked, then smiled at Tony.

"Metal Man," he said.

"Mr. Odinson," Tony said formally. "Can you explain how I got up here? I don't remember doing the climbing."

"Ha, ha, ha."

Thor's entire body shook when he laughed, which only added to the fun of being on top of him.

"God, I love your laughter." Tony said. "I wish I could laugh like that."

"You do not laugh?"

"Not really. I mean, I smirk," he admitted. "And I chuckle when I hear a good joke, but -"

"You did laugh last night," Thor said. "When I kissed you here," and he rubbed a spot on Tony's neck.

Tony frowned. He only had a vague recollection of it. Thor was kissing his neck, right? Then he started sucking on it… and then, out of nowhere, he started growling like a savage beast. And yeah, Tony did laugh then. Actually, the sound that came out of his throat was more like a snort than a laugh –totally undignified when he thought about it. I hope JARVIS didn't hear that.

But hey, if Thor thought it was a bona fide laugh…

"You're right," he said. "I did laugh." He dropped a little kiss on Thor's chest, his way of saying thank you. But the kiss led to another, and another. Then Thor's tiny little nipples beckoned. He sucked softly on them, then more purposefully when he heard Thor's gasp. Oh, you love that, Tony thought, feeling Thor's cock spring to life.

Tony looked up.

"Uh, big guy… I don't want to alarm you, but I think there's a snake trapped between us."

Thor blinked, then laughed. "Ha, ha, ha."

Tony smiled goofily. The people he usually slept with had no patience with his jokes. "Tony, quit playing around," was what they said; or, "You wanna put a smile on my face? Get me some coke." Thor gave him a chance to do silly things.

"Hey, it's no laughing matter," Tony chided. He tucked his hand between their bodies, fondled Thor's erection, then looked up, his eyes open wide in alarm. "It's huge!"

"The Mighty Serpent of Asgard has awakened," Thor said, getting into the joke. He put his hand on the back of Tony's neck and added, huskily, "You must kiss it into submission."

Tony snorted. "Yeah, you'd love that wouldn't you." He was dismissive till he saw Thor looking intently at Tony's mouth, obviously waiting for it to work its magic. Tony hesitated. "Hum, big guy… I don't think I can." God knows he'd enjoyed 'kissing' Thor's mighty serpent, but his jaw still hurt from the last time. Thor was too enthusiastic; hell, he'd practically gone crazy, like he'd never had a blow job before.

And maybe he didn't. It was apparent now that Mr. Odinson wasn't as experienced as Tony initially thought; the guy didn't even know he had a prostate! But I taught him all about it. Tony smiled smugly as he remembered Thor's reaction –surprise at getting touched there, then utter delight when he realized what was going on.

No wonder he wanted Tony to go down on him again.

"Kiss it, Metal Man," Thor insisted. Then, coyly, "I shall kiss your snake too."

"Mine's still dead, big guy;" Tony said ruefully; "I'm a mortal, remember? Tell you what," he added. "I'll strangle this snake, how does that sound? I'll go down there, hold it in one powerful fist while the other -"

But Thor didn't let him finish. He pulled Tony for a kiss and didn't let go, even if that meant that Tony had to let go of the Snake of Asgard. But it was ok; Tony's body on top of him was enough to get him going, and moments later he came, his groans muffled by Tony's mouth.

"Oh, wow," Tony said between kisses, "Baby, that was beautiful." He pulled back to look at Thor. "You're really something, aren't you."

Thor got his breath back. "Something…?"

"You're everything," Tony said, then frowned at his own words. He wasn't one for mushy stuff, so what the hell was he saying?

Fortunately, JARVIS intervened before he went too far.

"It's ten-to-seven, Mr. Stark. I suggest you get ready for your meeting with Mr. Fury."

Tony looked at Thor. "Time to clean up, Mr. Odinson."

….

TBC


	10. The Mortal & the Demigod P 5

Part 5

* * *

><p>Tony looked closely into the mirror. There was a tricky spot on his jaw that required his full attention. He carefully shaved around it, then stepped back to study the result. <em>Not bad.<em> Then he glanced at Thor's reflection on the mirror.

Definitely not bad either.

The demigod didn't need much grooming; he'd dried his hair, and that was it. He was more interested in Tony's bathroom; he was walking about, alternately examining the art pieces on the wall and the marble designs on the floor. In short, he was doing all the things that drove Tony nuts, (and the reason he'd installed a visitor's bathroom).

And yet, he couldn't be mad at Thor. The man was royalty, so to speak; that alone entitled him to do whatever he wanted. But the main reason was that he looked hot wearing nothing but a towel, loosely wrapped around his hips. The towel was this close to falling off and Tony was enjoying the anticipation.

Tony decided it was time to get Thor's attention back.

"Do you like the room?"

Thor didn't reply. He looked at Tony –up and down, with a brief stop at Tony's butt. Seeing the towel tightly wrapped around Tony's waist reminded him of his own, and he rearranged it around his waist.

_Bummer._

Thor came to stand close to Tony. He looked in the mirror, his eyes meeting Tony's, then wandering down to the shiny reactor on Tony's chest.

Tony tensed up. Thor had compared it to a medallion the night before and called it "Earth Magic", but that was in the heat of things, and he was a bit drunk too. Some people were freaked out by it when they saw it under the cold light of day.

But Thor didn't say anything.

The silence was too much to Tony.

"So. Would you like to shave?"

Thor rubbed his jaw. "Do you wish me to shave?"

"Nah. You look fine." Fine wasn't the right word to describe Thor's looks, but then, what word would? "It's a shame we couldn't use the hot tub," he said regretfully. "But we've got to save water, you know." And standing under the shower was surprisingly fun too.

But Thor didn't seem to be listening; his interest had been drawn to the rows of bottles on Tony's sink. He gingerly picked one and put it back; then he picked another. He didn't study them too closely until he picked one holding a pale blue liquid. He'd obviously noticed the logo on the label; it looked strikingly similar to the reactor on Tony's chest.

Tony smiled. That aftershave had been named after him, something he was particularly proud of.

Thor looked up. "Are these for your refreshment?"

Tony's smile widened. "Those are worn on the outside, Thor. You know, to smell good. Go on," he added, "Open it."

Thor did and cautiously sniffed at the bottle. He sneezed.

"Except for that one," Tony said without missing a beat. "I was going to get rid of it."

"Good," Thor said, and he promptly emptied it in the sink.

Tony stared in disbelief. His Stark aftershave, all two ounces of it, gone in a second! Had this been one of his dumb friends, he would have picked him and tossed him out -except that even his dumb friends would have known better than to pour down two thousand bucks down the sink!

He saw red.

"Thor -"

"You smell better than this," Thor said casually.

And just like that, Tony forgot what he was about to say. His heart started beating fast –no, not fast, FAST.

Shit. JARVIS was right; his reactor was getting quite a work-out. And it wasn't just a mechanical problem, Tony realized with growing concern; he was falling in love. No, wait; he was already IN LOVE. He just didn't admit it till now. Even worse, he was at a stage where he needed to say it; he needed to whisper it, write it, and even sing it. His lips parted, apparently on their own volition. He was just about to say something he knew he would regret, when a little voice told him to wait a fucking minute, (and funny enough, the voice kind of sounded like JARVIS').

He forced himself to look away. Ok. Fine, so he wasn't gonna chew Thor's ass for wasting the scent; he could live with the loss, (and, let's face it, he'd already chewed Thor's ass anyway), but he was definitely NOT gonna start saying mushy, romantic things!

He was gonna have a normal conversation.

He looked up, only to see Thor examining a tube of flavored lube.

_Shit._

Tony had to look away again.

After a pause, he looked back and said, (for the hundredth time, it seemed): "So. Thor." He hesitated. There had to be something safe he could talk about, right? Finally, "Tell me about Asgard."

Thor's eyes softened. "Asgard is very beautiful."

"Sure," Tony said skeptically; "That's what people always say of their birthplace. I suppose you've got castles and monuments -" Thor nodded. "Well, I've got a tower." Unfortunately the tower didn't look that good anymore. "And a big house in Malibu. Or had one," he added to himself. "Will have one, in the near future." To Thor, "What about oceans," he challenged; "You got one?"

"Aye; the mighty sea protects our realm."

"Mighty sea?" Spitefully, Tony said, "Bet you can't surf in it."

"Surf?"

"Yeah." He'd been fantasizing about Thor in a tight rubber suit. "I could teach you, if you want." He liked the possibilities. They could easily fly to Malibu over the weekend. The house was still a mess but what the hell, they could camp. _We'll surf, we'll work on our tans… Wait, do demigods tan? Oh, what the hell, I'll rub oil all over him anyway…_

Thor was frowning.

"Surf…" he said tentatively. "Like that man in the tiny box? Point Break?"

"Well…."

"Do you like him?"

Tony met Thor's gaze.

"He's ok, for a guy living in a little box. You, on the other hand, are real." He didn't know what else to say, but his eyes must have conveyed something, because Thor lent forward and touched Tony's lips with his own. A sweet, chaste kiss.

No one had kissed him like that since… ever.

When Thor pulled back, there was some shaving cream on a corner of his mouth. Tony gently wiped it with his thumb: a sweet gesture that he hadn't used... ever.

Thor smiled. "Are you not finished yet?"

Tony mechanically picked a towel and wiped the last of the shaving cream, and by the time he was finished, Thor had gone back to the bedroom.

* * *

><p>tbc<p> 


	11. The Mortal & the Demigod p 6

part 6

* * *

><p>Tony found picking the clothes he'd worn the day before; sweats, T-shirt, socks…<p>

All he had on was the black leather G-string that passed for underwear in Asgard.

Nice.

Watching him, Tony couldn't remember why he'd disliked sharing his personal space in the past.

"You know," he said after a moment; "I was thinking. Since I've got to rebuild this place, I could, you know, get each one of you your own room."

Thor looked up.

"Not just a room," Tony said expansively; "An entire floor, furnished according to the occupant's needs." He paused while he visualized the results. "Cap's quarters will be Spartan," he said gleefully; "A bunk and a sink, those ought to be enough. Maybe some gym equipment for him to work his frustrations on too. As to your suite…" he glanced at Thor. "I'll put lots of marble and gold, and antique pieces from all over the world." Huskily, he added, "And a huge bed."

Thor smiled faintly, and that smile alone was enough to get Tony's heart beating wildly again.

Jesus. He was in love. It was an exhilarating feeling.

"I'll put a Shawarma dispenser too, if you want," he added. "I don't know if those exist, but if not, then I'll build you one."

"I thank you," Thor said quietly.

"You can help make it all possible, by the way," Tony said. "Just put on a hard hat and bring Mjolnir along." The possibility of them building a home together was making him giddy. "I can work my way with a hammer too, did you know that?"

Thor smiled.

"Yes," he said proudly. "We are forgers, you and I."

"The problem is, you're gonna need a place to stay while your little realm gets built." Tony paused as if he were actually considering the situation. "I could fit you into one of the rooms downstairs, I guess. They're not comfortable, but they'd have to do. That is, unless you want to stay in my room."

Thor hesitated but before he could reply, Tony went on.

"In fact, I insist," he said. "Stay here. With me." It was his way of saying 'I like you' and 'I need you.' And, yeah, I love you. All the things he'd never be able to say –

Not in this life, at least.

Which reminded him of the weird visions he'd been having.

"Do you ever get this feeling that you know someone from somewhere…" He gulped, then added, "That we've known each other from some other time?" To his relief, Thor smiled. "'Cause I've been seeing things and… feeling things." Love. Love –why couldn't he just say it?

Thor seemed to understand. He walked up to Tony and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I, too," he said huskily. "From the moment you first touched me."

Tony frowned. The first time he touched Thor, it was only to smash him on the ground. Then he'd picked him and smash him on a tree… and then the brawl really started. Not very romantic, but maybe Asgardians had a rough view of love…?

Then Tony remembered: while in the helicarrier, he'd touched Thor's arm with the back of his hand and called him Point Break. An off-handed gesture, meant to put the demigod down.

Was that really all it took…?

"I knew," Thor said vehemently. "I knew I loved thee from before."

Whoa. No one had ever talked to him like this. And it wasn't just the words, but the look in Thor's eyes and the emotion in his voice.

Tony didn't know what to say.

But if Thor, a demigod, could open his heart to a mere mortal, then couldn't that mortal try and do the same?

Tony cleared his throat.

"I…" he started. "I mean, uh, yeah." He gulped. "Me, too."

Thor smiled, gratified, then went back to picking things.

You're kidding me. This wasn't the reaction Tony was expecting. A statement like this should have got him a quickie or a big sloppy kiss at the very least.

Now he knew what all those boys and girls felt after he casually dismissed their love confessions.

Karma's a bitch, Stark.

Miffed, he watched as Thor carefully set the clothes on the bed.

"You're really tidy, aren't you," Tony said. "I mean, you're picking things and piling them…" Instead of kissing me.

"I must return them to Andrew Son-of-John."

"You mean, Johnson?"

"Yes. He made me swear I would return every piece to him."

"Did he," Tony said. And I bet the son of a bitch was laughing to himself the whole time. "Don't worry," Tony said, "I'll get them back to him." And make him pay for fucking around with my boyfriend.

"That is kind of you."

Tony smiled. Oh, you sweet, trusting babe. He had no intention of returning the clothes; not all of them, anyway. He was holding on to the shirt, thank you very much. It was bound to smell like Thor, and it would keep him company while Thor sorted things out in Asgard.

Speaking of which –

"So, how long will it take you to put Loki under lock and key?"

Thor spoke while he adjusted a metal band around his wrist.

"Loki is the son of Odin. He cannot be incarcerated like a common criminal."

"Oh, he's not a common criminal," Tony replied with a snort. "He's more like an unusual psycho."

Thor looked up sharply.

"Do not speak like that."

Tony was taken aback. There was a warning there –a threat, almost- and the sudden change from his placid demeanor was quite striking.

But Thor softened his tone almost immediately to add. "Loki is my brother."

You're kidding me. "Fine," Tony said patiently. "I won't speak ill of the little boy. Hey, why don't we just pretend he didn't kill hundreds and wrecked half the city?" To Tony's surprise, Thor smiled gratefully. Apparently, sarcasm was non-existent in Asgard.

Or maybe Asgardians were just plain dumb.

"Thank you," Thor said simply. He picked his leather pants and started putting them on.

Tony watched. Dumb or not, the guy looked just right.

"So," he said, (and why did he keep saying that damn word?) "How long will it take you to put your brother in a, shall we say, safe place?"

"I do not know yet. It is my Father's decision."

"But it won't take too long, right? A week or two, and then you'll be back here?"

Thor picked his vest before he replied.

"I cannot come back."

He spoke so casually, the words didn't register at first. Then they did.

Tony frowned. "What…?"

"I cannot come back," Thor said. "The Bifrost…"

"Yeah, yeah. It's broken, or something." He'd read about it on SHIELD'S report. "But you did manage to come back; technically, you don't need it to come and go."

Thor shook his head. "It was Loki's presence here that forced my departure from Asgard. And it took all of my Father's strength to accomplish that feat."

"So? Let him rest a bit and then -"

"It is not as simple as that," Thor said quietly. "With the Chitauri gone, there is no reason for me to remain."

"What do you mean, there is no reason? You're part of our team. In fact, according to the polls, you are the main draw. Well, you and Hulk," he conceded. When Thor didn't respond, he added, "How about this: you tell your dad you've got a job here, and -"

"I cannot lie to him."

"It wouldn't be a lie. I could easily create a position for you at Stark Industries. Or you could work at SHIELD. Hell, Nick Fury would love to have you and Mjolnir join them."

Thor smiled despite himself.

"I would gladly do it. But my place is elsewhere."

Tony was stunned.

"You're serious about this?" Thor met his gaze. Oh, he was serious, all right. "But… What about…" Me. What about me. He couldn't say it, but his distress must have shown because Thor walked up to him and put both hands on his shoulders.

"I swear to you, Metal Man," he said intensely; "I shall come back the very moment Midgard comes under attack."

"Forget Midgard! I'm talking about –" He stopped with some difficulty. He didn't want to say it –shit, he hated feeling so fucking needy, but…"I need you." There. Words he'd never said to anybody –not while sober, that is.

It literally hurt to say them.

Thor smiled in sudden understanding. "You are afraid I shall forget you," he said. He leant over till their eyes were level. "You and I are bonded, Metal Man. No one shall ever replace you in my heart."

Tony looked incredulously at him. Is this guy for real?

"And in my soul," Thor added for good measure.

Tony snorted. "Oh, that's cute. What's next, you're gonna call me?" He stepped back, shaking Thor's hands away. "That's bullshit."

Thor frowned.

"I do not understand."

"Yeah, I can see that." Tony felt his anger rise. "Are you fucking serious? After all the things we've just said –the things we did. You're really gonna run back to daddy and let him decide what to do?"

"I have no choice," Thor said.

"You really believe that?"

Thor reached out for Tony again. "Metal Man -"

"It's IRON MAN, you dumb fuck!" Tony winced at the sound of the words -especially because Thor did understand them, and hurting Thor was the last thing he wanted to do.

Yet it felt good too, seeing the shock in Thor's eyes. It felt good, sharing the pain he was feeling. "So. All the things you said; all the things you did… You were just lying."

"I have never lied to you," Thor said indignantly; "I swore I would take my brother back to Asgard; that is what I must do." He hesitated, obviously trying to find the right words to say. "I have a duty to obey. As my Father's heir, I must prove that I am worthy of the throne. And -"

"He's not gonna give it to you."

The words effectively stopped Thor in mid-word. He looked questioningly at Tony.

Tony met his gaze.

"I read the reports. The things you told Selvig -"

Thor blinked. Ah, ha. He didn't expect Selvig to spill the beans, did he? Welcome to the real world, my friend.

"Your dad's never gonna give up the power, Thor. Why would he?"

"I am his heir," Thor said quietly.

"Yeah. And that's all you're gonna be. Think about it: he let you run wild all your life, let you get away with shit, and then all of a sudden he expected you to act humbly?" He paused while his words sank in. "He set you up to fail."

Thor looked down uncertainly.

Tony took a step closer.

"And then there's what he did to your brother. He manipulated the poor sap, turned him into a monster, but now he doesn't have the balls to go after him -"

"Hold your tongue!" Thor shot him a warning look. "You are not to speak ill of my father. I shall not allow it."

"What are you gonna do, hit me?" Tony took another step as he spoke and, taken by surprise, Thor stumbled back. He took another step, knowing all along that he was going too far, yet unable to back down. It's what he did every time –play with fire; test people's patience, until they hit back.

But Thor didn't hit back.

And it was then that Tony realized Thor did love him after all. At least, he loved him enough not to smash his face for insulting Odin.

He just didn't love him enough to stay

"He is my father," Thor said quietly. "And everything he does, he does for a reason."

Tony's anger started to fade away then. He felt the pain start to fill the empty spaces.

"So, what am I supposed to do," he said softly. "Hope the Chitauri come back some day? Wait another thousand years to find you -" he stopped. What the hell was he talking about? Those dreams or visions…. Were they real after all? Were he and Thor condemned to meet and fall in love, only to part afterwards?

Probably.

It wasn't like him to admit defeat so easily, but this wasn't a business deal he was fighting for. It was love. And people. And he'd never been able to hold on to them for long.

Thor reached for him again.

"I shall wait for you," he said.

"Yeah, yeah," Tony muttered, "You'll call, I'll call, I've heard that one before -"

Thor grabbed his shoulders. "You must have faith, Tony Stark," he said. "Then we shall be together."

"Faith," Tony said as if it was the first time he'd heard the word. "You're kidding me."

"I am serious!" Thor said vehemently. "You must have faith in our bond."

Tony frowned. Ok, Thor wasn't kidding; he was just being stupid. But he was obviously waiting for some response.

"Right," he said. "Faith. Got it."

Thor's fingers dug into his flesh.

"Do not fail me," he said intensely.

Tony was about to reply, but JARVIS spoke just then.

"Mr. Stark, Mr. Fury's on the line. He is requesting Mr. Odinson's presence in the Helicarrier. They are about to move Loki from his confinement."

"Duly noted," Tony said. He nodded at Thor. "You heard it. They need you."

Thor hesitated.

"It's ok," Tony said. "Go on."

* * *

><p>tbc<p> 


	12. The Mortal & the Demigod P 7

The Mortal and the Demigod

Last part

* * *

><p>Tony picked a piece of machinery from the workbench and examined it closely; he poked at it in various places, turned it over, pretending to be completely engrossed by it. Hopefully, his personal assistant would take the hint and leave.<p>

Not a chance. When Pepper Potts had a clipboard in her hand, she meant business.

Out of a corner of his eye, he noticed her check something on her list.

"All right. Now, about tonight's press conference -"

"Why don't you -"

"-take care of it?" Pepper cut in. She smiled when Tony looked up. "See how predictable you've become?"

"Well, you've been doing such a great job with the press -"

"And I can't do it anymore."

Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, oh. I know that tone. You're gonna get serious on me."

"Very serious," she said, nodding briskly. "People are starting to ask questions about you, Tony. 'Did Mr. Stark suffer any serious wounds during the battle?' 'Is he in rehab?' 'Is he suffering from delayed stress syndrome?' Oh, and, 'Is it true Mr. Stark have a face-lift?'"

"A face-lift?" Tony was indignant.

Pepper smiled. "All right, they didn't ask me that. But they do want to know why you haven't been out in weeks."

"Well, I'm busy," he said, waving at the junk on his workbench. "And who says I haven't been out? I've been doing repair work all over the city."

"As Iron Man, Tony. Technically, anyone can wear the suit." She studied Tony for a moment. "Tony… Is there any reason you can't go to your own bedroom?"

Tony didn't expect that. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. You've been sleeping in the workshop…"

"I've been working."

"You haven't worn a suit in weeks…"

"I don't need to wear a suit in here!"

"In short, you haven't gone upstairs in a long time. And that's all right," she added quickly. "I can just as easily go upstairs and get you a suit." She turned to the door. "I can go right now if you want."

"No!"

Tony half rose from his seat, the sudden movement catching Pepper by surprise.

"My God, Tony, what's going on? Do you have a body stashed in there or something?" She smiled as she spoke, but the concern was clearly etched in her eyes.

"No, I don't have a body stashed in there! There's… nothing."

"But you don't want me to go in there." Why, her eyes were saying. Why can't you trust me?

Tony fidgeted. He trusted Pepper with his own life, but there were things he'd rather keep to himself. Like the fact that his bedroom hadn't been cleaned in two weeks, or the fact that he didn't go in there 'cause he was afraid. Maybe afraid wasn't the right word. He just didn't want to see his unmade bed, or the clothes Thor had worn, still neatly piled on a corner. How could he even begin to explain all that?

But she was right; it was time for him to face the public.

"Ok," he said resignedly. "I'll attend that conference."

"Thank you," she said primly. She made a check on her list. She hesitated, then, "And Tony…. If you ever want to talk… about anything…" She let the word trail off.

Tony dropped his gaze.

"Sure," he said, turning his attention back to the trinket in his hand. No way was he talking to her. No way was he telling her about Thor.

But maybe she already knew. Oh, yeah. There was a reason she was being so nice and sympathetic.

"Thanks," he muttered as she turned to go.

* * *

><p>Tony picked the sweatshirt Thor wore and, after a brief hesitation, held it to his nose. Nothing. Thor's scent had dissipated. Good.<p>

He dropped the shirt.

"Ok," he said, nodding. "It's almost like Thor was never here."

_"Mr. Odinson's semen is still on the sheets, sir."_

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the observation, CSI. I'll get rid of them." He started removing the sheets, and was gratified by the fact that he could do so without getting emotional. Not that there was any reason to. It's not like anything special had happened there, anyway: a little sweet talk; few kisses, and a few orgasms -meh.

It was only when he saw the stray hairs on Thor's pillow that he faltered. He had a vivid memory of Thor's locks brushing his face whenever the big man kissed him. And once he remembered that, other memories followed: Thor's smile, for instance; his hearty laughter. His cock, growing hard between their bodies -

_Oh, baby,_ Tony thought, adding, for good measure, _son of a bitch_.

_"I have discovered traces of Mr. Odinson's DNA in the bathroom too, Mr. Stark."_

Tony smiled indulgently. "That's ok, JARVIS; you don't have to put everything under a microscope. As long as I can't see it, his DNA can stay anywhere." The cleaning crew would probably take care of it, anyway.

_"There is something tangible left by Mr. Odinson, sir."_

"My butchered heart?" Tony muttered sadly.

_"You cannot hold Mr. Odinson responsible for the state of your heart, sir. The shrapnel alone -"_

"Jesus, JARVIS, why are you taking everything literal today?"

_"I am sorry, sir."_

For an unsettling second, Tony had the impression it was his metaphorically-butchered heart that JARVIS was sorry for.

"So," Tony said off-handedly, "What did the guy leave? A thong? Medication?" Those were the kind of things his dates had left in the past.

_"A ring."_

Tony didn't immediately reply.

_"It's on the dresser, sir."_

Tony looked up. Yep. There was a little something there, gleaming on a corner of the dresser.

"You should have warned him, JARVIS."

_"I had the impression he was leaving it on purpose, sir. He forged it in this room."_

"He forged it…? When?"

_"He did it after you left."_

Tony thought of that day. "Go," he'd said, but he was the one who turned away. He got dressed, (fast since there was no fussing over shirts this time), and then he left the room. If Thor was still there, he didn't notice.

Tony reluctantly walked to the dresser but didn't pick the ring. He examined it from different angles.

"What's it made of, silver?"

_"Not silver, sir. It was created from Mjolnir itself."_

"Don't tell Fury," Tony said mechanically. "He'd try to steal it." He leant closer to the ring. "There are symbols etched on it."

_"They are similar to those on Mjolnir, sir. I do not know what they mean,"_ he added, anticipating the question.

Tony stared at the ring.

"D'you think he…" It was a stupid question. Obviously, Thor had left the ring for him.

He gingerly picked the ring and examined it. It was beautiful.

Tony smiled despite himself. "You're a genius, baby."

_"Thank you, sir."_

"Not you, JARVIS; Thor. He forged the ring."

_"I believe it's Mjolnir you ought to congratulate."_

"Not really. They did it together, JARVIS. They… complement each other."

_"Like you and I, then,"_ JARVIS said perkily. There was a pause. _"I shall miss Mr. Odinson, sir."_

"You?"

"As long as you miss him, I will, too."

"I don't miss him," Tony replied automatically. "I don't even remember his scent anymore." And if he said it ten times, maybe he'd start to believe it.

He stared at the ring. On an impulse, he rubbed it against his shirt.

_"Sir, it is not Aladdin's lamp!"_ JARVIS' voice was filled with disapproval.

"Hey, I had to try," Tony retorted. "I mean, what am I supposed to do with this?"

_"You are supposed to wear it,"_ JARVIS said promptly.

"Gee, ya think?" Tony eyed the ring. "I just don't see the point."

_"It will fit you perfectly, sir,"_ JARVIS said reasonably; _"I have already checked the ring's dimensions. It'll fit your fourth finger."_ Then, in case Tony didn't get it, _"The one between your middle finger and your little finger."_

"Right," Tony muttered. He already knew that too. "You know what this is?"

_"A ring…?"_

"It's not just a ring," Tony said sourly. "It's a chastity belt." He glared. "It's Mr. Odinson's way of claiming ownership over me."

_"I thought that claim was established long before he left."_

Tony snorted. He was still looking at the ring. "What am I supposed to do; sit around wishing for an alien invasion so we can meet again?"

_"Wishing alone would not make it happen,"_ JARVIS agreed. _"But building weapons of mass destruction might. Shall I unlock the Phase 2 files?"_

Tony raised an eyebrow. "You jest." I hope. He looked back at the ring. "You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna put this ring through every test I can think of. Gonna make something happen -"

_"I wouldn't advice it, sir. The ring is bound to be as indestructible as Mjolnir itself."_ JARVIS paused._ "Sir, I do not understand your attitude. The ring is a symbol of Mr. Odinson's regard for you. Shouldn't that lift your spirits?"_

"Lift my spirits –How? He's gone, who knows where. Years can go by before he comes back –and that's ok for him; he's fucking immortal. I don't have time on my side."

_"Perhaps this is what Mr. Odinson meant when he said you were to have faith, sir."_

"Faith in what?" But Tony had to admit JARVIS' words made sense. He hesitated for a few seconds, then, holding the ring between his hands he said loudly, "I believe this ring will bring Thor back."

He waited.

Nothing happened.

_"I suspect he meant faith in yourself, Mr. Stark."_

"I've got faith in myself," Tony said automatically. Hell, he was Tony-fucking-Stark; of course he had faith in himself!

_"Faith in your feelings,"_ JARVIS went on. _"Faith in love."_

Tony's mouth opened… then closed.

_"Sir?"_

Tony didn't immediately reply. "Let's say I have faith," he said cautiously; "Let's say I wait. Then what? You know what they say: out of sight, out of mind."

_"I had foreseen the possibility, sir; I have added images of Mr. Odinson's face to my database."_

Tony smiled indulgently. Ah, JARVIS. If things were as simple as that. But it wasn't his own mind he was talking about. It was Thor's. How long before he started to forget Tony? And what if Odin convinced him/forced him not to return to Midgard?

Tony put the ring back on the dresser.

"He's gone, JARVIS. The sooner we get used to the idea, the better."

_"But sir -"_

"Hey, it won't be the first time we're left behind."

_"Sir, you are letting past experiences get in the way of what is a unique situation."_

"Unique situation?"

_"A test, sir. One that can never be replicated."_ There was an ominous pause._ "A test on faith. You must go through this experience in order to find out what it can do."_

"Oh, so now I'm your lab rat?" Reluctantly, he touched the ring's surface. "You know, I've just realized; this is the first time I got jewelry from a guy. Normally, I'm the one buying the expensive stuff."

_"But not rings."_

"No. Not rings." Rings were big deal -which is why he never gave away any. And this ring… This ring was a huge deal: A god had forged it just for him.

"He did love me," he said. He didn't remember Thor ever saying the words, but actions spoke volumes. True, he'd left (and that spoke volumes too), but it wasn't like the poor guy had a choice. Maybe he was sorry now; maybe, like Tony, he was moping around, wondering if his beloved remembered him at all, or if he'd gone back to worshipping Point Break.

Maybe Loki was taunting him right now, mocking him for falling in love with a mortal…

And it was the thought that Thor might be suffering that pushed Tony into action. He grabbed the ring.

"All right," he said. "I'm gonna have faith. I'll try," he amended, just in case he failed. "I'll wear the ring, and I'll wait; and if -"

_"Go ahead, sir."_ JARVIS urged, _"Put it on."_

"Keep pushing me, and I won't," Tony retorted. He took a deep breath –

_"Sir, you are stalling."_

"Hey, I need time to adjust. It's not every day that you get engaged." He winced at the words. "Oh, man, Pepper's gonna freak when she sees this. She'll insist on planning a big wedding, and -"

_"Sir -"_

"Yeah, yeah," Tony said. "The ring." But he didn't put it on the intended finger; to needle JARVIS, he tried it on the other fingers first. Finally, he slid it on his fourth finger. It did fit perfectly.

"Ok." He flexed his fingers. It looked good, he had to admit.

JARVIS seemed disappointed.

_"I do not detect any changes, sir."_

"What did you expect, thunder and lightning? A gate into another dimension?" Tony shook his head. "It's just a ring, JARVIS. I'm engaged; no big deal here." He looked at his hand again. "But if I start acting like I'm Mrs. Havisham, you have my permission to shoot me." The words were casual, but tears were welling up in his eyes as he spoke. Shit. He cleared his throat. "See, that's the part I hate about this kind of thing. It makes you act like a shmuck."

_"Sir, are you all right? The ring is made from alien material, after all."_

"It's a bit late to start worrying about my safety, don't you think?" He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "I'm ok. I got a bit emotional, that's all." He'd never experienced love this way. It'd take him some time to get used to it.

He walked to the window and stared into the dark.

He didn't want to worry JARVIS any further, but he needed to say something.

"I love you, Thor," he whispered. "I hope I'll see you again someday." _I'd better see you again. Otherwise I'll go crazy_.

He thought he could see him now, in fact. The image was blurry because of the tears, but it was Thor all right. Dressed in full regalia, the demigod was leaning over a balcony, somberly staring ahead…

"A vision," Tony muttered. "Nice."

_"Did you say 'a vision', sir?"_

Tony started. _Did I say…?_ He blinked, shook his head… but the image in front of him remained unchanged.

"JARVIS? I think the ring is leaking something into my bloodstream," he said. "I'm seeing things."

_"You must take it off at once, sir!"_

"But these are nice things!"

_"What is it that you see?"_

Tony didn't speak. He had a feeling the image would disappear if he started describing it. He took in every detail, though: the balcony, the opulent curtains, the gleaming floors… and Thor's beautiful profile.

It looked so real, Tony couldn't help talking to it.

"Hey, babe," he whispered.

Eerily, Thor instantly looked up. He glanced around, then turned in Tony's direction.

Tony blinked again. "No way."

_"Sir?"_

"He heard me, JARVIS."

_"Sir?"_

JARVIS' voice was dimming, Tony noticed. But his vision of Thor was growing clearer. The demigod was walking towards him, uncertainly, as if guided by sound, not sight.

"It's me," Tony said.

Thor tentatively raised his hand as he walked, then stopped as if he'd found some sort of barrier. Still, he kept his hand in the same spot, while his eyes darted about, searching for Tony.

Tony reached out. "I'm here," he said. He saw his palm touch Thor's, but didn't feel it. Thor must have felt something though, because his eyes lit up.

"Metal Man," he said. His eyes focused; he could see Tony now.

Thor was smiling like this was no big deal, but Tony was freaking out. Was this a vision, or wishful thinking? Was it some of that Asgardian magic he never had a chance to learn about? Or was the ring really leaking something…?

Shit, maybe he was tripping. He almost asked JARVIS, but held back; asking questions was definitely not the thing to do when you were dealing with magic and faith –if that's what it was.

Besides, Thor looked real enough.

"Can you see me?"

Thor nodded. "Yes."

Tony took a step forward, but was held back by the barrier. He impulsively hit it with his other hand. His fist didn't meet any resistance but it didn't go further either.

"What the hell's this?" Thor didn't reply. "It's like being inside the biggest condom!" He didn't mean to whine, but it was damn frustrating. "I can't touch you."

"Nor I," Thor said calmly. "But I can see you."

His contentment made Tony reconsider his own reaction… and everything else.

"It's really you," Tony said. "We're…" He paused. "Where are we?"

"I am in Asgard," Thor said. "You are in Midgard."

"Wow," Tony said breathlessly. "This is… Did you do this? I mean, you, with the ring…?"

"I do not know," Thor said. He tentatively raised his other hand but it didn't move beyond a certain point. "None of this had ever happened except in legend. Two souls reaching out…"

"But it was the ring that did it, right?" Tony was in awe of Thor. "You're a genius."

Thor smiled, pleased.

Oh, God, that smile.

_I miss you._ Tony almost said those words, but had the feeling it would sound like he was complaining, so he didn't.

"You look good," he said instead. "Nice clothes, too. Been to any parties lately?" Thor smiled indulgently, the way he did whenever Tony babbled. "So," Tony said, (and damn, he was back to that word!) "How're you doing? Is Loki giving you a hard time?"

Thor didn't reply, but the brief look of embarrassment was answer enough.

"I thought so," Tony muttered.

"He said you would forget our dalliance."

"I knew it! Oh, that motherfucker -" He left it at that. It wouldn't do any good, insulting Loki. Thor might still feel duty bound to defend the little weasel, and the last thing Tony wanted was to fight. "Well," he said, the model of calm maturity; "You can tell him I didn't forget." He looked curiously at Thor. "You did know I wouldn't, right?"

"I hoped," Thor said simply.

Tony gulped. Thor had probably spent the last few weeks holding on to that hope, while Tony did his best to forget. _Baby, I'm so sorry._

"I'm here now," Tony said firmly. And he had lots of questions –how would things work now? Would they see each other whenever they wanted…? Was there a password they ought to learn…? Was Odin ok with the whole thing?

And what was JARVIS doing while all of this happened?

But he held back. Maybe it was best if he didn't know all the answers. Yet.

"Got time to talk?" When Thor nodded, Tony motioned him to sit on the floor. "Then make yourself comfortable. Got lots of things to tell you."

Thor obeyed. They sat next to each other, their shoulders touching –yet not touching; their voices soft as they reacquainted themselves with each other.

"Coulson's doing great," Tony said. "Oh, and you remember Bruce?"

Thor only sneered.

* * *

><p>the end<p>

I wanted to pay homage to an old favorite of mine -CSI.


	13. Numbers: TWO AGAIN

TWO AGAIN

Part 4 of "Numbers"

I toyed with this story for a couple of months, decided to make it a Christmas story, then time ran out.

Suzu-chan felt Thor should have come back only for Tony…

* * *

><p>Tony entered the kitchen and made a beeline to the coffee machine. He was reaching for a cup when a voice behind him gave him a start.<p>

"Good morning."

He winced. Pepper Potts was sitting in a corner, looking perky as always.

"Miss Potts," he said formally. "Shouldn't you be out, doing your Christmas shopping?"

"I finished my shopping weeks ago," she said placidly; "Yours too."

"Yeah? Am I giving nice gifts this year?"

"Very nice," she said, with a satisfied note in her voice.

"And expensive, I bet."

"Aren't they always?" She raised the glass in her hand in a mock toast.

"What is that?" he asked, looking at the glass.

Tony smiled. He turned his attention back to the coffee machine. He poured himself a cup, then glanced vaguely at the countertops. There were boxes of cereal, an open bottle of milk, baskets laden with apples and bananas…

_There's no real food here._

"I brought you some muffins," Pepper said.

Tony turned. There was a bag on the breakfast nook.

"Blueberry," she said. From his favorite bakery too. As always, she was anticipating his every want.

Normally, Tony found this very reassuring.

Not today.

He gulped some coffee and looked out the window. It was a nice day. Quiet. Too quiet.

"Where's everybody?" he asked, mostly to fill the silence. He already knew where his fellow Avengers were. Out on missions, or at the labs.

With one exception.

It was Friday, (or as Tony called it, Jane Day), which meant Thor Odinson had gone to… wherever the hell Jane Foster lived, (Tony refused to find out her address); not only that; it was December 21. Per their agreement, Jane got Thor from Friday through Monday, with Tony getting him the other days, except on holidays, which Thor invariably spent with her.

Which meant Thor would be away till January the 2nd.

"Oh, joy," Tony muttered.

"Did you say something?" Pepper asked sweetly.

Tony ignored her. Oh, he knew what she was doing. It happened every Friday: She watched him; she followed his every move and looked for signs of malcontent…

But he was not going to give her any. Sure, it was a weird situation; he, of all people, was acting like a divorced dad sharing custody of his kid! It was ridiculous. Thor wasn't a kid; he was a grown man –a deity, for crying out loud. But hey, if Thor was happy, (and he was), Tony was happy too. Most of the time, that is.

Fridays were bad for him though. Until he buried himself in work, he brooded over this arrangement and invariably came to the same conclusion: _I should have talked to my lawyers before signing up._

The thought bought a reluctant smile to his lips. Yeah, right. He could imagine old, venerable Mr. Weinstein doing a double take and asking him to 'please explain again'. And when he finally understood, he would have blushed to the tips of his ears.

_Ah, but once he did understand, he would have got me a better deal._

And that was the heart of the problem, wasn't it? Tony had let the final decision to Jane. Oh, he thought he was being a gentleman at the time, but now he could see he was a schmuck.

The others tried to warn him. Bruce, Pepper… Actually, Pepper didn't say anything, but her reaction was eloquent enough: she only shook her head when she heard of the arrangement.

"I know what you're thinking," Tony had said. "You're thinking this is not very feminist of Jane, and that she shouldn't compromise -"

"Actually, Tony, it's you I'm worried about."

"Me? Why?" He was banging Thor; how bad could that be? He didn't say so, of course, but she probably guessed.

And she'd merely smiled at him. A sad little smile; a smile that said, 'oh, you poor, little idiot, you don't know what you're getting into.'

"What?" he'd asked, irked, "You don't think I can keep my end of the bargain?"

"I know you can," she said patiently. "I'm just wondering if it's going to be enough."

And now he understood what Pepper meant.

It wasn't enough.

And Thor didn't make it easier. Some Fridays, (like today), he took too long to do things. He stayed longer in bed, took longer to wash up, took far too long to dress, and then wandered about the room doing nothing, until, (like today), Tony snapped at him and told him to just-fucking-go already –which was the wrong thing to say, 'cause Thor thought Tony was trying to get rid of him, and then he looked at Tony with big blue eyes filled with something that looked like hurt. And Tony, instead of trying to explain, just walked out of the room, and (like today) came down to the kitchen to get some coffee and food.

"Ah, shit," he muttered to himself. _I wonder if I fucked up this relationship._

Hawkeye entered the kitchen just then. He nodded at Pepper, then, studiously avoiding Tony's eye, asked, "Anybody knows what Thor's doing out there?"

"Out there, where?"

"He's sitting on a ledge of the Empire State Building."

Tony glanced outside. He had a clear view of the Empire State –which was one of the reasons he'd built Stark Tower in that location, in the first place: He wanted to look _down_ at the Empire State building.

"I don't see anything."

"He's on the other side," Hawkeye said. "He's just sitting there, like he's some sort of gargoyle." He looked at Tony this time. Pepper looked up too. Tony avoided meeting Pepper's gaze, but from the tilt of her head, he knew exactly what she was thinking, 'Well? Aren't you gonna something do about it?'

He stalled a couple of seconds, then determinedly put his cup down.

"JARVIS? Get the Mark VIII ready will you?"

Tony flew to the other side of the Empire State, half-expecting to see it empty, (Hawkeye had a sick sense of humor, after all) but as it turned out, it was true; Thor was sitting there, looking uncomfortable with arms holding his knees.

Tony found a ledge and cautiously settled there. He raised his visor.

"Hey," he said.

Thor raised his gaze.

"Metal Man."

"What are you doing here?" Tony asked. "Shouldn't you be on your way to…" _To wherever the hell Jane Foster lives. _

Thor shook his head.

Tony frowned. "What's going on?" Half-joking, he added, "You didn't have a fight, did you?"

Thor sighed, then nodded.

Tony raised an eyebrow. That was unexpected. He waited for some other revelation, but none came. Not surprising, given it was _Thor_, the least communicative man he knew. Go into battle, and Thor would find the right words to say; mention feelings, and that gorgeous mouth would snap shut.

Not that Tony was any better at it. He wasn't the kind of man people turned to for advice, and so he was poorly equipped to deal with the problem.

He cleared his throat.

"Are you ok?"

Thor stared ahead, as if he were thinking of the appropriate response.

Tony tried again. "Aren't you cold?" Of course, he wasn't, (he was a demigod, for God's sake!) but Tony didn't know what else to say. "You're sitting on a slab of ice, you know." He paused for a moment. "What I'm trying to say is, you could sit in your own room at the Tower."

But Thor didn't move.

Tony looked away. He knew what was coming. He knew… and he didn't wanna hear it. And by the looks of things, Thor didn't wanna say it either. But they couldn't stay there all morning either.

"So. Thor. What was the fight about?" It had to be him, of course. Jane was a sweet girl, but how long before she snapped and gave Thor an ultimatum? "Was it about me?"

Thor nodded reluctantly.

"What did she say?"

Thor didn't immediately respond.

"She -" He started, then stopped.

"Uh, huh?" Tony nodded, encouraging Thor to go on.

"She said -"

"Ok…?"

"She asked -"

"Yes?"

Thor looked down.

Tony sighed.

"Just say it, Thor," he said kindly. "I can take it."

Thor gulped.

"She demanded that I make a choice."

Tony nodded.

"I understand," he said mechanically.

Thor looked up. "Do you?"

"Do I, what?"

"Do you understand?"

Tony considered. "Not really. It's just the kind of thing you say to get the other person to go on. So, go on."

Thor looked down.

"That is all."

"She asked you to choose between her and me." Thor nodded. _Shit._ Tony looked away. Below, the city looked beautiful. Clean. Peaceful. It wouldn't last –it never did- which made him all the more determined to want to hold on to this semblance of peace.

_But nothing lasts forever._

Tony took a deep breath.

"It's ok," he said quietly. "If you want to stay with her, I mean." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Thor look up sharply. The big man didn't speak. "I mean, we can still be friends, right? That's not going to change."

Thor was looking at him.

"You would not mind?"

"Mind? No," Tony said off-handedly; then, because he just couldn't lie to Thor, "I mean, yeah, I would. I do," he amended. "But hey, I'll get used to it. Just as long as you came back now and then."

"Is that the truth?"

"Sure." Tony held on for a few seconds, and then, "Oh, who am kidding. It's not true. I'm just trying to do the right thing here, Thor. That's what heroes are supposed to do, right? They're noble and righteous, and self-sacrificing. Only I'm not any of those things."

Thor looked curiously at him.

"I try to be noble," Tony added wearily; "But I've been Tony Stark too long. And he's a selfish son of a bitch. And he wants you to stay."

Thor was frowning.

"But you asked me to _fucking go_."

Tony winced at the sound of that word in Thor's mouth.

"I'm sorry I said that. It's just… You know how it is, when you've got to remove a band-aid and you start peeling it at the edges, only it makes it worse, and so you end up peeling off the damn thing…? No, wait; you've never worn a band-aid; you can't know what I'm talking about."

"You wanted the pain to be over," Thor said slowly.

"Yeah! That's it."

"I never wished for you to feel pain," Thor said quietly. "Yet I hurt you. And I hurt Jane…"

"Aw, it's not your fault. Jane and me went into this with our eyes open.! He was silent for a moment. "So. You're sitting here while you make a decision?"

Thor shook his head.

"I've already made my decision," he said solemnly. "I told Jane I could not choose her over you."

Tony felt himself grow suddenly warm. Either the suit was malfunctioning, or he had a high fever. He didn't care.

"Really? You chose me?"

Thor nodded almost imperceptibly.

"You know, you could look a bit more cheerful about it," Tony noted. He was silent for a moment. "What did she say?"

"She didn't say anything. She…" he waved his fist in the air, mimicking a punch on the face.

"She punched _you_? Wow. Most girls would have punched the other guy." He shook his head. "I didn't think she had it in her." He studied Thor's face. "When did it happen? I never noticed a thing."

"You did," Thor said. "I had something here," and he pointed a spot on his jaw.

"Oh, yeah, I remember that bruise. But wait, that was weeks ago." Thor nodded. "You mean you've been free all this time and didn't tell me? Why?" But he knew the reason. 'Just fucking go!' he'd told Thor that morning, as if the demigod was a nuisance. "You thought I only wanted you around from Tuesday to Friday."

Thor didn't reply.

"Oh, man. That's… " _Stupid_. But he didn't say so. "Well, just so you know, I want you to stay full-time with me. With us." Then he smiled. "You know what's funny? There were a couple of times when I almost went after you. I thought I'd grab you by the hair and force you to come back. But I'd given my word to you and Jane, so I never tried."

To his surprise, Thor's eyes gleamed mischievously.

"I wish you had tried."

"Really? You wanted me to act like a caveman?" Thor's smile widened. "You know, it could still happen," Tony said slowly. "If you really want me to."

Thor reached for Mjolnir.

"I shall meet you in Cornwell woods."

"Cornwell woods? Isn't that the place where we first fought?" Tony smiled. "You really are a romantic!"

* * *

><p>THE END<p> 


	14. Tony Loves Thor

**TONY LOVES THOR**

Gee, it's been so long since I post a story, I can't come up with an inventive title! I hope you like the story.

* * *

><p>Alone at last.<p>

Pepper Potts didn't say the words out loud; she merely basked in their reality: The Avengers weren't there, and she had the kitchen to herself.

She closed her eyes for a moment, basking in the quiet. _Heavenly_, she thought.

It's not that she didn't love the guys dearly; she did, for different reasons –and in different degrees. It's just that sometimes… well, they really got to her. They were so boisterous and _big_. So damn clumsy too; you'd think Steve and Thor would have learned how to handle the appliances by now, but no, they didn't. They were always making a mess! Even Bruce, so careful in his lab, had caused some unfortunate incidents in here. And the worst part, they looked like they enjoyed making a mess! Even Bruce, she thought peevishly.

_But not today_. She opened her eyes and looked around, as if to make sure she was quite alone. Then she smiled. Yep, they were all gone –her boss included. And maybe this was the best part, she admitted sheepishly. Without him, she'd finally get to do something she'd been dying to do for a long time. She raised the bag she'd been holding in her hand. It was still warm, and the scents wafting from it so strong, she could almost believe Tony's claims that he could smell them while wearing armor. Her smile turned wicked as she opened the bag and took a peek inside. Golden and covered with tiny bits of crisp onion, the muffins looked perfect. And the smell –Oh, my God, the smell!- it was enough to make her close her eyes in a momentary swoon. Oh, it had been too long…! And all because her unreasonable boss hated onion muffins just as much as he hated the Chitauri.

But he was not there now and so, with a flourish, Pepper placed the bag on the table, and then went around the kitchen, picking her favorite mug and plate, napkins, and lastly, the tea kettle. She carried her tray back to the table and gleefully took a seat next to the windows –the precise spot that Bruce had chosen for his own.

She took a muffin and raised it to her lips and, after a few seconds of delightful expectation, took a tiny bite first, then a greedy one.

"Mmmmmh." _Wonderful._ She chewed in blissful contentment, very appreciative of this rare treat. It was her bad luck that Tony had the worst sense of smell –and by worst, she meant the absolute best. He could detect onion breath by a mile and was very vocal about it.

But hey, today was her birthday; she was entitled. That Tony was away was only a happy coincidence, one that she ought to thank a god for. Not God, she thought irreverently; a god: Odin. It was because of him that the Avengers were visiting Asgard. Two days before, he'd issued, as Thor put it, 'a most kind invitation'.

_Kind invitation, my ass_, Pepper thought, and not for the first time. Everybody knew Odin wasn't pleased by his son's constant returns to Midgard, and in Pepper's humble opinion, this sudden invitation was the equivalent of a stern father summoning his precious son's new friends in order to appraise them… and warn them off, perhaps?

"Poor Odin," she muttered. He wasn't going to win this battle.

But she wasn't concerned about Odin. Right now, the only thing that mattered to her was the onion muffin in her hand. It was the best ever. And the tea? Lord, it was the perfect blend of leaves and spices, and the merest hint of honey; even Tony would like it. Well, maybe not Tony, but -

_"… with Mr. Stark."_

It took Pepper a moment to realize that JARVIS had just said spoken. Something about someone asking for Mr. Stark -

"Wait, wait," she said, "What did you just say?"

_"It's Mr. Estes, Miss Potts. He asks whether Mr. Stark intents to keep his date."_

She scoffed. She always knew there was something slightly off with Estes, and this was a confirmation of it.

"I canceled that date myself, JARVIS. It was two days ago," she added pointedly; "I told him Tony was going away on business."

_"Yes, Miss Potts, but Mr. Stark called Mr. Estes last night. He said he'd go rock climbing after all."_

"That's impossible. Tony's in Asgard, remember?"

_"Mr. Stark returned last night."_

Pepper blinked. For a couple of seconds, she wondered whether she was only dreaming; either that, or JARVIS had malfunctioned.

"He couldn't have, JARVIS," she said as calmly as she could, even though inside she was reeling. If JARVIS malfunctioned, then they were royally screwed. "The Avengers weren't supposed to return until -"

_"Friday,"_ JARVIS cut in. _"But Mr. Stark returned late last night. He placed a call to Mr. Estes, and then -"_

"Wait, wait," Pepper cut in, "Are you serious? Tony IS here?"

_"Yes, Miss Potts. As I just said, he called Mr. Estes; he said he was going on this rock climbing expedition after all. This, despite my various reminders to the fact that he isn't ready to take on a real canyon," _JARVIS added righteously._ "Then he picked a bottle of Vodka and -"_

"Oh, no." Pepper was instantly on her feet.

_"-one of Tequila, and then he went down to his workshop. He has refused to respond to my messages since then."_

Pepper hastily dropped the muffin into a napkin. "And you didn't think I should know this?" She spoke as she moved to the door. "My God, JARVIS! What's wrong with you?"

JARVIS was apologetic. _"I didn't think he'd appreciate having you around, Miss Potts. Not until much later. Those onion muffins…" _JARVIS discreetly let the word trail off.

"Oh, brother," Pepper muttered. JARVIS was right. Tony would know even if all she did was handle a bag holding them. Hastily, she retraced her steps and picked her purse. There were mints in there, and some perfume. "You should have told me anyway," she said as she liberally sprayed herself. "Vodka and Tequila –you know that's a lethal combination."

_"That's exactly what I said to him last night! He told me to lighten up."_

"Well, I'm not going to lighten up," she said firmly.

_"What I should I tell Mr. Estes?"_

Tell him to go to hell, Pepper thought. Aloud, she said, "Tell him Mr. Stark's left on urgent business." If Tony was drinking, he'd be in no condition to go on dates or climbing expeditions.

* * *

><p>There were only a few lights on in the workshop, but the little Pepper saw of it was enough to make her shake her head in disapproval. It wasn't the shameful state of disarray; after all, Tony thrived in chaos, and the workshop was a reflection of that. No; what she disliked the most was the granite wall taking up half the space. It was the first thing you saw now; the wall and the ropes with the harnesses, and the chains that made the place look like a dungeon. It was Tony's latest hobbypassion/toy: indoor climbing.

Pepper sighed. Why couldn't Tony take up chess or scrabble or… well, anything that didn't put his life in danger? One would think wearing armor and flying up in the sky would be enough of a thrill, but oh, no, Tony had taken indoor climbing.

Actually, the indoor part was perfectly safe. It was only when Tony started talking about going to a real canyon that she started to worry. That, and his budding relationship with Derek Estes.

She'd kept quiet so far, but if Tony was adding drinking to the mix, then it was time for her to intervene.

Determined, she took a step inside the gloomy room.

"Tony?" Another step. "Are you there?"

There was no response. There was however a little tinkling sound of ice cubes in a glass, and Pepper turned in its direction. There, sitting by a darkened window, was her boss, a glass in one hand, and a bottle in the other.

"Good morning."

He still wouldn't talk –a bad sign. Looking for another, Pepper took a deep breath; if Tony was on a drinking binge, then the heady scent of booze would be noticeably even from a distance.

Unfortunately, all she got was the onion smell still clinging to her lips. It made her hesitate. If Tony caught a whiff of it, he would let her know in his most acerbic way; but if she backed down now, she wouldn't find out what the heck was going on. And checking on Tony was definitely more important than saving face.

Courageously, she took a step forward and then another. On the third, she tripped on a bulky object on the floor.

"Damn," she muttered. "Tony?" Still no reply. "It's awfully dark in here," she said plaintively; "Can I have a little light?"

Tony acknowledged her at last. He lowered the glass, glanced in Pepper's direction, and said, "Onion muffins, Potts?"

"And a good morning to you too," Pepper replied testily. "Can I have some -"

"You _may_," he said, and damn if he didn't make it sound like he was granting her a great favor.

_'Oh, don't give me that'_, she thought, her eyes narrowing. She didn't even get to give the order; JARVIS immediately heeded their boss' command and turned on the lights, though only some of them and in their lowest setting, in obvious deference to Tony.

But even the soft lights seemed to bother him. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, unwittingly putting the bottle he was holding on display. It was only for a quick moment, but it was enough, and she was grateful for what she saw: a bottle of mineral water. Then she glanced at the window sill. The bottle of vodka was there, an inch down –but only one inch!- and next to it, the bottle of tequila, with its seal still on. There was nothing to worry about, she realized - unless he'd sneaked other bottles behind JARVIS' back, and that wasn't very likely. So, why was JARVIS so concerned…?

And then Tony lowered his arm and put the bottle on the floor, and reached for something else: a whisky decanter.

He paused when he saw her looking at it.

"What? It's a good muscle-building exercise. You lift the bottle… you tilt it for a second… then put it back on the floor." And he did just that. He took a sip of his drink, grimaced a bit, and then he looked up defiantly.

She stared back just as openly.

"All right," she said. "I get it. Something's wrong."

"Not with me," he said casually; "I'm having a great time."

"Yes, well, there's still something wrong going on." She nodded at the bottles. "You brought out the Three Amigos." That's how Tony had called them in the past: Vodka, Whisky, Tequila –his 'three best friends'; the only ones he could always count on. "You're sitting in the dark instead of taking full advantage of the sunlight -"

"It's my home," he retorted; "I can sit wherever I want. And didn't you get my memo concerning onion-muffin breath?"

"- and you're acting like a jerk," she added, waving her hand in the air as if to make an invisible check on a non-existent clipboard. "Oh, yes. I'd say something's wrong."

Tony ostensibly wrinkled his nose.

"From Carny's Bakery, right?"

Pepper took a step forward, only to trip again. She impatiently kicked at the object on the floor, but it didn't yield. She looked down. It was a backpack; fully equipped, and with a climbing helmet resting on top.

"You were really going to do it." She looked up incredulously. "You were going rock-climbing with Derek."

"Sure."

"When JARVIS said you were going on a date with Derek, I thought it was a 'date' date."

He frowned. "A 'date' date?"

"Well, it's obvious that you have a thing for him."

"A _thing_?" He smiled, amused, (as always) by her excessive primness.

And yes, it was excessive –and she'd be the first to admit it- but she liked being a prude, and truth to be told, it had served her (and Tony) very well over the years.

She pretended not to see the smile.

"You know what I mean," she said evenly; "He's big, tall, blond…" She paused. "Want me to go on?"

"Go on with what?"

She sighed.

"Fine," she said, "I'll spell it out for you: you want to have sex with Derek Estes." She crossed her arms in a 'are you happy?" gesture.

He was frowning. "Sex with Derek Estes? Me?"

She shook her head in slight exasperation. "Yes, Tony; you."

Tony didn't reply; he merely took a sip of his drink and then stared into the glass.

Pepper took a couple of cautious steps in his direction; it would probably earn her another 'onion breath' comment, but she was going to risk it. She needed to make sure he was ok.

He looked tired –no wonder, if he'd stayed up all night. But there was something else in those eyes; something she couldn't quite pinpoint. They blinked when she spoke next, as if he'd momentarily forgotten she was there.

"To tell you the truth," she said, "I was hoping sex was the only reason you got into climbing."

"How come?"

"Well, it's a dangerous activity. And every time you put your life at risk, I can't help but worry that you -"

"Wait," he cut in. "How is rock climbing any more dangerous than fighting the Shoggoth? 'Cause I don't remember you being this concerned last month, or the one before, when I was battling the Chitauri!"

"But you were wearing armor! And you had JARVIS and Thor backing you up! But every time you get into a reckless situation all by yourself, well, it can only mean you're battling some inner turmoil!"

"Inner turmoil," he repeated. "What the hell does that mean?" He frowned. "You've been reading that woman, what's-her-name, haven't you."

She ignored that. "Car racing in Monaco, three years ago," she said. "You were dying, remember? You got into that car hoping to end it all in a blaze of glory. And two years before that -" But she didn't have the heart to say the rest. She let the word trail off, knowing, by the look on his face, that he knew what she was talking about and he didn't appreciate the reminder.

Gently, she added, "There's a reason you put yourself in life-threatening situations, Tony. I only wish I knew why. I mean, you have friends who care about you." She paused, then, "And you have a PA who's pretty good at listening."

Emboldened by her own words, she walked up to him and after a moment's hesitation, put a hand on his shoulder. "Talking helps, you know."

He winced at the touch of her hand –and no wonder; it wasn't often that she broke the one rule that Tony held sacred: _never, ever get maudlin with me_. She was hoping it would shake him into confession, and for a moment it looked like it'd work. He drew a deep breath. He looked up… his lips parted… He visibly struggled for a moment…

And then he said, very carefully, "I'm fine." Holding her gaze, he added, "Ok?"

No, it wasn't ok and she almost said it out loud. But there was no point in arguing; not when Tony said 'OK' in that tone. _Leave me alone_, it meant; _if I needed help I'd ask for it._

She felt silly, all of a sudden, standing there with her hand resting on his shoulder. She let it drop and then, as if that had been her intention all along, she reached for the decanter.

She spoke as she moved, forcing herself to sound casual. "At least you didn't keep your date with Derek. He's -"

"Mad about climbing," he muttered.

"He's just plain mad." She placed the decanter on a nearby table. She smiled a little. "I don't usually recommend drinking as a solution to a problem, but in this case -"

"I'm not drunk, Potts."

The tone of injured dignity almost made her roll her eyes. But he was right; he wasn't drunk, (yet); he was just…Sad.

She finally knew what was wrong.

_Oh, Tony._

She said it out loud. "Oh, Tony. What's going on? And don't bother telling me nothing's wrong, because it's not true."

Tony's response? A snort.

Pepper sighed. _Fine,_ she thought; _have it your way_. Meanwhile, she'd keep him talking.

"So," she said, "Where are the others?"

"Who?"

"Steve and Natasha. Bruce –your buddies," she said, to keep it short. "Didn't they all return with you?"

He shook his head.

"You mean they're still in Asgard?" She paused for a couple of seconds. An appalling thought had just occurred to her. "What did you do?"

"What do you mean, 'what did I do'? And why are you looking at me like that? I didn't do anything," he said defensively; "I just…" He visibly struggled to find the words, "…got bored."

"Bored." She frowned. "In Asgard?"

"Yep."

She paused for a couple of seconds. "Are you telling me there was nothing to see or do? Nothing interesting, at all?"

He nodded evasively. He couldn't even hold her gaze anymore.

And that could only mean…

"You screwed up, didn't you," she said breathlessly. "Oh, my God, I knew it; you did something or said something disrespectful to Odin, he got angry and expelled you, and now -"

"What the hell are you talking about? He didn't expel me! I came back on my own accord!"

"But why? I mean, what could possibly have happened? Were the bedrooms too crowded? Or was it the food? There were too many carbs on the menu, or -"

"Jesus, you make it sound like I'm a pampered bastard! I liked the food all right! The rooms were ok –everything was ok. Ok? I just thought I'd come back -which I wouldn't have if I'd known it was onion-breath day!"

She didn't let the jab distract her.

"Let me get this straight," she said slowly; "You didn't insult Odin, and you didn't do anything to provoke his anger. You left because, what, you just weren't having any fun?"

"Yeah," Tony said defiantly; "I thought I'd come back and -" He let the word trail off while he (very obviously) searched for a plausible explanation. "- check things up. I mean, it was irresponsible of us, to leave Earth at the mercy of –of -"

Pepper smiled. She couldn't help it; here was Tony Stark –charming, witty, sharp-tonged Tony Stark- having a hard time lying to her.

And yes, he was lying.

"I don't understand it. You were so stoked about going to Asgard…! I mean, you didn't think twice about cancelling your business meetings–even the one that cost us the Donner contract. And what about Derek? You dropped him the minute Thor issued the invitation! I would have thought you'd -"

She didn't finish what she was going to say. Something had suddenly clicked in her mind, the moment she said those two names out loud. Derek Estes… Thor. She pictured the two as she spoke, and the images -Derek Estes, tall, blond, with a wild streak in his character, and then Thor –taller, blonder, and with an infinitely wilder streak… Drop-dead gorgeous, both of them; a handful, to anyone who'd dare approach them.

Just the kind of men Tony fancied.

She gasped. "Oh. My. God."

Tony looked away.

"Oh, my God," Pepper said again. She couldn't believe she didn't notice this before. Suddenly, lots of things started to make sense. "No wonder you didn't care that Hammer would get the Donner contract," she said breathlessly. "You wanted to be with Thor." Of course, business deals would take second place, just as rock-climbing trips would, no matter how handsome the instructor. "That's why you dropped Derek so easily… And that's why you took up with him in the first place!" Her eyes widened at this sudden insight. "He was just a substitute for the real deal!" Tony winced at this, but didn't put up a denial. "Oh, my God."

"Stop saying that," Tony muttered uncomfortably.

She stopped but only for a second; she still had plenty to say. After all, it wasn't every day that she got a chance to unsettle the great Tony Stark.

"Well, well, Mr. Stark," she said a smirk; "It looks like you have a thing for men with big hammers."

Tony shook his head.

"It's not funny," he muttered.

"Sorry." But her contrition didn't last long. "Aw, Tony; I'm not laughing at you. I'm just… I don't know. Surprised? I mean, yes, Thor is attractive, but to tell you the truth, I thought you'd go after Steve Rogers first."

"Steve?" He looked scandalized.

"Well, he's the real challenge here. Thor, on the other hand… well, he acts like he'd be game for anything." She looked curiously at Tony. "Is that what happened up there?" She lowered her voice, "Did you two get too loud and offended everyone?"

Tony snorted.

"Did you two have a fight?" Pepper's smile disappeared. "That's it, isn't it? Something went horribly wrong -" Tony's response to that? A second snort. And another swig of whisky. "Tony? What happened?"

"Nothing happened, Ms. Potts." he said, and the 'Ms.' which he rarely used when talking to her, told her this was personal business. "All right?" he added, and the tone said the matter was closed.

Pepper hesitated. A part of her wanted to comply; he was the boss after all. But he was a friend too -her best friend, in fact. She couldn't leave the matter alone; not while he was sitting in the semi-dark, slowly getting drunk, (which was worrisome in itself: she knew what to expect when he got bombed in a hurry, but not when he did it slowly).

She did know that asking him questions would lead her nowhere.

"All right," she said calmly; "You don't want to talk about it. I understand. But if you change your mind, I'll be in my office." She turned and started to walk away, only to trip on the backpack again. Exasperated, she gave it a kick, which only managed to dislodge the helmet. She picked it and put it back on the backpack but it wouldn't stay put. "Oh, for -" she muttered, and finally, she simply took it to the workbench and dropped it there. It landed with a loud thump, but she didn't apologize. Frankly, she was pissed.

"You always do this," she said. "Keep things inside and let them fester." She didn't look at him as she spoke. Instead, she started picking trinkets at random and putting them on a corner. "Maybe if you talked things over, you'd realize they aren't as bad. I mean, think of the pain you'd have saved yourself over the years if you'd talked to someone instead of hoarding the bad stuff. Think of the fines you've paid, the interviews you had to give in exchange for a reporter's silence -"

She was babbling, but she didn't care; she just had to say it. And if he didn't like it, well, then she'd take the consequences –whatever they might be. Not that there'd be an immediate reaction from Tony –that wasn't his style. He'd probably pretend this never happened, and then two years from now he'd say or do something that'd show her what this moment meant to him.

All she could do was hope that one day he'd look back and realize he could –and should- trust somebody.

She never thought he'd start talking right away.

"He's got a palace."

She stopped abruptly, then slowly turned around. "Thor?"

He glared at her. _Who else? _The look said.

"Ok," she said slowly. He was in a bad mood, but this was good, actually; a cranky Tony was infinitely easier to deal with than a beaten-down one.

She'd just have to be careful about the things she said.

"Is it beautiful?"

Tony pointed at the ceiling over him. "The ballroom alone's bigger than this."

She frowned. "Bigger than the workshop?" Tony glared again, and this time it took her a couple of seconds to understand. Her eyes bulged. "You mean it's bigger than the Tower? Oh, wow."

A new glare told her she'd better tone down her enthusiasm.

She did just that. "That big, huh," she said nonchalantly; "Well. I guess they need their space; if they're all as tall as Thor, I mean." But this was the wrong thing to say, as it obviously made Tony self-conscious about his own height. _Damn!_ "Well, it's not that impressive, if you ask me;" she said dismissively; "After all, they don't have City-Planning Departments in Asgard, do they? There's no one breathing down their necks, telling them just how tall their buildings ought to be. And labor must be cheap. Do gods even _build_ their houses, anyway? Don't they simply conjure them?"

He didn't glare this time. He took a long swig from his glass instead.

_Uh, oh_. "So," she said, not wanting to lose his attention; "He's got a big house. Why is that a problem?"

He didn't answer. "He's got a throne," he said instead. "Huge," he added, as if in anticipation to her question. "It's so big it looks like they used a dozen oaks to build it. And tons of gold and gems," he added bitterly.

Pepper stared at him. Finally, she thought she knew where this was going.

"He's got a throne and you don't have one," she said slowly. "Is that what this is all about? He's got bigger toys than you?"

Tony shook his head. "It's not envy, Potts."

She didn't believe that for a minute. "Well, then what is it?"

He shrugged. He looked out the window. "He's got an army."

"You have employees. Hundreds," she added grandly; "And each one of them has a great dental plan."

"He's a god -"

"And you act like one." Tony glared, but she didn't care this time. "So, he's richer than you. Big deal," she said good-naturedly; "It wouldn't be the first time you don't get to call the shots, would it?"

"I'll never get to call the shots," he shot back. He looked her in the eye. "Do you understand now?"

She blinked.

"Oh," she said. 'Oh' wasn't much, but what else could she say in the present circumstances? This was the one thing she didn't expect –at all. Used as she was to Tony's easy conquests, she'd assumed he'd managed to snare Thor too.

Oh, boy. She'd definitely have to thread carefully now.

The next question would probably earn her another glare, but she just had to ask it: "Did he actually say 'no' to you?"

Tony shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"I didn't ask."

"You didn't -"

"Hell, no. Like I said," he added in a slightly patronizing tone; "He's got a fucking palace, a throne, and an army. He fucking lives a world away. You see what that means?" He paused but didn't wait for a response –not that Pepper had one to give him. "There's really no reason for him to come back here."

"He promised he would. He's already come back twice this year!"

"Because _Midgard_ needed him," he said resentfully. He was silent for a couple of seconds, then, "Man, I've never felt so fucking small. So insignificant," he added bitterly. "Up there, I mean. You should have seen it, Potts. That palace is…" But he had no words for it. "And the throne and the -"

"Things," she cut in. "That's all they are."

"Yeah, but they're big. And he loves them." He gulped. "He loves it up there. And the people love him too. Hey, who wouldn't, right? He's awesome." He gulped. "He's so…" He paused. He had trouble finding the right word. "He's so fucking… _good_."

It amazed her, how such a little word could pack such feeling when spoken like that. More amazing yet was the fact that Tony could still recognize goodness and hold it dear, after all these years.

Pepper studied him. She'd never seen such naked emotion in Tony's eyes. Not while relatively sober, that is. And while there was quite a lot of anger in those eyes, there was also pain.

It hit her then: This was not a mere infatuation.

"Tony, you really -" She hesitated. "You really are – Are you…?

Tony raised an eyebrow. "What, you can't say it?"

"I… no, I can't. You'd never… I mean, yes, you've been -" In love, why couldn't she say it? "But you've never…" she waved a hand in the air.

"You mean I've never been this pathetic?" He smiled indulgently.

"I didn't say that," she said gently. "What I'm saying is, you never admitted being in love." Not that he actually had right now, but still… "Oh, Tony…"

"Oh, please, don't use that tone."

"What tone?"

"The one that says you're so sorry for me."

"I'm not sorry. I'm –I'm in awe, actually. You're in love. That's a big deal."

"Hell, yeah," he said wearily. "I agree with that." He raised his glass and drained it, then looked forlornly at it.

Pepper knew what that look meant: he was struggling with his need to have another drink. The longer he struggled, the worse the binge would be.

She wished she could make the decision for him. She wished she could help.

"Tony -" she started, but before she could say more, he put the glass on the window sill. He sat back, and sighed, mournfully.

She closed her eyes for a couple of seconds. Oh, thank God, she thought. Then she looked back at him.

"You still haven't told me why you came back."

He blinked. "Oh, that. Well… It started with Thor's mom talking about a big party they were giving in our honor. I was thinking how lucky I was that my PA had packed my best Armani, when Odin suddenly fixed his one eye on me and said something about some princesses his dear son was to meet that night. Oh, that guy," Tony said, shaking his head. "He knows, all right."

"Odin?"

"Yep. For a couple of seconds it felt was like he was drilling holes into my brain, and he was reading my thoughts."

"Ew."

"The father-in-law from hell," Tony said wearily.

"Is that why you came back? You didn't want to deal with him?"

"No. It was the princesses I didn't want to deal with. Odin made it sound like it was an engagement party of some kind."

"Oh."

"Oh, is right," Tony said wearily. He was silent for a moment, then, in a 'what can you do' tone, "Ah, well. It's like the song says: Love Sucks."

"It's 'Love Hurts', Tony."

"That, too."

He smiled, but it was a cover-up; she knew him too well. Deep down, he was hurting. Unable to cope, she looked away. Her gaze met her own reflection on the darkened windows. Outside the sun was shining, tinting the skyscrapers with shades of gold, and, in Stark Tower's case, turning it into what some called 'Manhattan's Jewel'. How ironic then, that Tony would be sitting in the dark.

"Tony, what I don't understand is why you didn't tell Thor anyway." He started shaking his head, but she didn't give him a chance to speak. "He's got a crush on you; he does," she insisted. Actually, she didn't really know if this was true, but everybody had a crush on Tony at one point or another.

He shook his head one more time. "There are no gay gods in Asgard, Potts." And before she could ask, he added, "Yeah, I asked."

"But that doesn't mean he wouldn't be interested in you. Or that he wouldn't be pliable enough to…" she waved a hand in the air while she found the right words. "…let himself be convinced? You could have at least tried," she added. "Did you?" She waited until Tony reluctantly shook his head. "No, you didn't. What you did was flee; flee instead of putting up a fight!"

He stared at her for a couple of seconds, then, to her dismay, snorted loudly.

"You've been reading slash fiction again, haven't you." It wasn't a question. "Well, Miss Potts, this may come as a surprise to you, but happy endings rarely happen in the real world." He paused. "No matter how hard a Personal Assistant might wish it." He looked curiously at her. "It bothers you, doesn't it? Knowing there's something you can't get for me, I mean."

She was taken aback but recovered quickly. She shook her head. "You've never needed my help in that regard, Tony. And this may come as a shock to you, but your love life has never been among my top priorities." She defiantly held his gaze while she spoke, and a little longer after that… But it was hopeless; she couldn't lie to Tony. "Ok," she said wearily. "You're right. In part. I mean, I'd get him for you if it were in my power."

He smiled good-naturedly.

"Thanks, Potts. I appreciate the thought." Then, in an obvious effort to shake off the gloom, "Tell you what. Next time he comes visiting, give him a little push in my direction. Make him fall into my lap, or something."

She smiled back. "A little push? That'd be too subtle." She lowered her voice. "Give me a suit, and I'll make it happen. I'll go to him, grab him by the hair -"

He snorted again, but this time the mirth was real.

"You covet that hair, don't you."

"He doesn't even work for it," she said indignantly; "It's not fair!" Then, because she'd just revealed something she'd never meant to, she quickly went on. "Anyway, I'll grab him and hog-tie him to your bed. Will that give him the message?"

"Loud and clear," he said. "Thanks, Potts." He was about to say something, then he paused. He pulled back as if to have a better look at her "What are you doing here, anyway? Isn't today your birthday?"

"Yes it is. I'm amazed that you'd remember."

"Actually, JARVIS told me last night," he said sheepishly. "He always does; I just pretend not to know."

"Why?"

"It's more fun that way. You get better presents too. But again, why are you here?"

"Well, someone had to cover for the boss," she said matter-of-factly. "He was supposed to be in Asgard, remember? Besides, I've got lots to do; this Avengers' business has wrecked my schedule, as you very well know."

"Yeah," he said ruefully. "I know. But you can still take the day off now. The boss is here. He'll cover."

"I'd rather stay." She looked at him. "You're not just the boss, Tony; you're my friend. Friends are always there for each other."

He was momentarily speechless. Then he shook his head. "Aw, Potts. "You're gonna make me puke."

"Wow. For a second there I really thought you were gonna say the word 'cry'. I should have known better." But she was grinning, and so was Tony.

"Seriously, Pepper; you should be somewhere warm and sunny right now. You know, lying on the beach while some dude named Ricardo brings you a drink and offers to put suntan oil on your back."

"I don't tan, Tony; my skin burns and then peels right off."

"Really? That's disgusting." He paused for a couple of seconds. "Well, what about that guy…? The one with…?" He made a vague gesture with the hand. "You know."

She rolled her eyes.

"You don't even remember the guy's face, do you. That's all right. I almost forgot it myself."

He eyed her sadly.

"Aw, Potts. It's not fair. You're a good gal. You should… I don't know. Find someone?"

"I will," she said confidently. "One of these days." She smirked, "I should probably stop eating onion muffins first, shouldn't I?"

"No. See, that'd be a huge mistake, Peps. You should find someone who loves them as much as you do."

She blinked. That sounded… sensible.

He smiled at her reaction.

"Ha. You didn't think I could give good advice, did you. Well, I can. When I care."

Pepper was speechless for a couple of seconds. Then she recovered. "That's nice, Mr. Stark. Thank you."

Tony smiled back, but only for a moment.

"All right, that's enough." He shifted in his seat as if the chair was the source of his discomfort. "If we go on thanking each other, we're both gonna puke." He nodded at the door. "Go. Take the day off."

She knew better than to say thanks again. She nodded and started to walk away… then stopped. She looked back. It didn't feel right, leaving just like that.

"Isn't there anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah," he said tiredly; "If Estes calls again, tell him I'm giving up climbing. And take those bottles away."

She obeyed; she gathered the bottles and held them in her arms, but she still wouldn't leave.

"He'll come back, Tony. He's bound to miss you." She smiled. "And when he comes back, we'll give a huge party. In Dubai. We'll show him what we've got."

He smiled. "Deal," he said.

Suddenly, JARVIS spoke into the intercom.

_"Mr. Odinson has just arrived, sir."_

Tony was taken aback.

"You're kidding me."

_"No, sir. He is here, indeed."_

"Shit!" Tony bolted from his seat, then nervously raked a hand through his hair. He looked up the door, then winced when he saw Pepper still standing there.

She was smiling. "There! What did I tell you?"

Tony scoffed. "What, you think you did that? Said the magic words, and boom, he appeared?"

"Maybe I have special powers," Pepper said mischievously.

Tony's retort got lost because the door opened just then. Thor entered the room and after a moment's hesitation strode towards them, red cape billowing behind him.

He nodded respectfully at Pepper.

"Lady Potts," he said.

She nodded back, not that he noticed. He was looking at Tony now, and the happiness he felt was obvious –from the smile to the twinkle in his eyes.

"There you are!" he said boisterously, and without further ado walked up to Tony and pulled him into a bear hug that probably crushed the air out of Tony's lungs. Pepper would have intervened right then –especially when he heard poor Tony moan something like, 'oof'- but didn't, for two reasons: Tony wasn't pulling back and secondly, he was hugging Thor just as tightly.

He pulled back after a moment. Frowning, he looked up at his friend.

"Why are you here?"

"Ah, Metal Man…!" Thor said, "Asgard was boring without you."

To Pepper's surprise, those words really got to Tony. Or maybe it wasn't the words but the look on Thor's face as he spoke -which Pepper totally missed because she was standing behind him. But she could see Tony, and his reaction was priceless. He opened his mouth, tried to say something, failed, then tried again… and again-

Pepper held his breath. _This is it_, she thought, _He's gonna say it!_ She strained forward, hoping to catch the words.

She should have known Tony wouldn't reveal his feelings that easily. He got a hold of himself and nodded, as if Thor's presence was no big deal after all. "Good," he said. "I'm glad." Then he hit Thor's arm and said, just as casually. "Well, you're just in time, big guy. It looks like the Mandarin's preparing an up-rise in Siberia."

"Is he?" Pepper was instantly alert. "I didn't hear anything."

Tony glared at her. "He could be," he retorted. "What, you want us to get ambushed like the last time? We've got to be vigilant!" And before she could ask what he meant by that, he turned back to Thor. "Wanna go upstairs and check the magic mirror?"

Pepper gaped. 'Magic Mirror' was Thor's pet name for the radar at the top of the tower, and the fact that Tony, (who hated it when Steve or anyone else forgot the correct terms for the Stark gadgets), was calling it 'mirror' was enough to make her wanna puke. Then she realized this was proof positive that he really was in love. Aw, Tony.

And now that Thor was here, Tony was making the most of the moment. He was holding on to Thor's arm while he discussed what they were going to do upstairs.

Thor didn't understand a word, but he seemed content enough. He fondly ruffled Tony's hair. "Let us go, then!" and together they turned to the door.

Pepper followed them at a distance, taking note of the men's interaction. They were walking close together; close enough to hold hands, really, only instead of holding hands they were punching and nudging each other, and generally acting like little kids. _Not very romantic_, she thought critically, until she noticed the looks they were giving each other.

Smoldering was one way to describe them.

_Wow_, she whispered. If Odin saw them looking at each other like this, then his reaction was understandable. Not fair, but understandable. You'd have to be blind not to notice the affection these two felt for each other. But affection was too tame a word.

Looking at them, she could tell they were NOT going to the magic mirror room. And even if they did, they wouldn't be looking for the Mandarin.

As the doors closed after them, Pepper fought with her conscience; part of her wanted to follow them into the hallway, but part of her wouldn't think of it. She had ethics after all! But she also wanted to see -well, whatever there was to see. A kiss, maybe?

_You shouldn't_, she thought; _you shouldn't, you shouldn't –_

Suddenly, and before her ethical side prevailed, she blurted out, "Follow them, JARVIS."

_"Miss Potts!"_ JARVIS sounded appalled.

"_Now_, JARVIS," she said calmly. She had a tone of voice for every occasion too, and it worked. Promptly, a screen lit up on the wall. It showed Tony and Thor walking to the elevator. They weren't touching anymore, she noticed, and they weren't talking, either. But they very aware of each other; one of them would venture a glance, and if the other looked up, then the first would immediately drop his gaze. And then they'd do it again.

"What is this, high school?" Pepper muttered incredulously.

They entered the elevator and JARVIS dutifully followed, only this time focusing on them from above. To Pepper's surprise, they stood on opposite sides of the elevator. Why, for God's sake, when only a minute before they were acting like they'd jump on each other the moment they were alone? Or –_gulp-_ did they know she was watching them?

Before she could ask, Tony moved. He glanced sideways at Thor, and, clearly on impulse, spoke.

To Pepper's dismay, the sound was off.

"What did he just say?"

Whatever it was, it had caught Thor's attention. He turned and looked at Tony.

"JARVIS! What did Tony say?" JARVIS didn't reply. "JARVIS!" Pepper leant forward, straining her eyes. She couldn't read lips, but who knows? Maybe she could see something that might give her a clue as to what was going on in there. They were facing each other now, as if sizing each other. Tony was still waiting for an answer; Thor was silent but he was giving him that smoldering look again.

And suddenly, he spoke. Two words –but what?- and the effect of those words on Tony was immediate. He suddenly took a leap and –oh, my God- he _climbed_ Thor. There was no other word; he was using the bolts and ornaments on Thor's boots and clothing as footholds! And Thor loved it; he clearly had an idea of his friend's abilities, because he didn't help; he only laid his hands on Tony's hips, steadying him while Tony worked his way up.

When Tony reached the summit, he put both hands on Thor's shoulders and then he looked down and smiled.

Pepper gasped. "Oh, my God! Did he take up climbing just so he could do that? Just so he could look down at Thor?" She didn't expect a reply from JARVIS. It didn't matter, anyway; what mattered was that Thor had raised his gaze and, oh, the look on his face was enough to take Pepper's breath away. He looked as if Tony was the most precious thing in the world; he looked as if Tony was the sun, and he was basking in the glory of it.

Tony must have felt the same, because when he raised a hand to touch Thor, he hesitated for a moment, then very carefully, (almost reverently), laid it on Thor's cheek. And then he leant closer and closer, and he tilted his head so his mouth touched Thor's at the right angle, and then –

-the screen vanished.

"NO!" Pepper jumped at the sound of her own voice. Where was her dignity, for crying out loud? She gave herself a little moment and then, as calmly as she could manage, "Um, JARVIS. JARVIS? Why did you do that?"

_"I am sorry, Miss Potts. Mr. Stark and Mr. Odinson deserve a little privacy."_

"Well, yes, but, um, I just wanted -"

_"I am sure this is exactly what you would want if you were in Mr. Stark's position."_

Pepper rolled her eyes. That'd be the day, when she'd be caught having sex in the elevator. But, damn it, JARVIS was right. She owed her boss a little privacy.

"Thank you, JARVIS," she said reluctantly. "You saved me from myself."

_"You're welcome, Miss Potts." After a pause, he said, "Shall I fix you a pot of fresh tea?"_

"Yes, please." She sighed. _Ah, well._ At least she still had her muffins to go back to.

_"By the way,"_ JARVIS said. _"I've noticed Dr. Banner likes onion muffins too."_

"Does he," she said vaguely. "That's nice." Then, in an afterthought, "He_ is_ nice."

* * *

><p>The End<p> 


End file.
